Laundry sucks. But it's something we all have to do. As an Airbnb rental operator, you've got double duty. There are ways to make it easier, though. This article explains how. Keep reading for an all-encompassing guide on saving time and money with Airbnb laundry turnover.
Why No One Likes Airbnb Laundry
Just like professional Airbnb cleaning, hosts have proven they'll literally pay someone to take on Airbnb laundry for them. More on that later. But for now, let's explore what makes it so burdensome. That way, it will be easier to come up with some solutions.
Turnaround Windows
Laundry has to fit into the same narrow window as everything else on turnover day, but it usually takes longer than cleaning a bathroom or wiping a kitchen. You’re racing the clock: stripping multiple beds, sorting loads, running full wash and dry cycles, then folding and resetting everything before check-in. If a guest checks out late, leaves extra mess, or you have back-to-back bookings, those long machine cycles suddenly become your biggest bottleneck.
Time Intensiveness
Laundry is deceptively time-intensive because it’s broken into lots of small, interruptive steps. Each step only takes a few minutes, but multiplied across multiple beds and bathrooms, it comprises a huge chunk of your turnover window.
Ongoing Costs
On top of time, laundry comes with a steady stream of ongoing costs for things like detergent, stain removers, dryer balls, and utilities. The real expenses are wear and tear and replacements. Linens in short-term rentals get washed far more frequently than in a normal home, so they fade, thin out, or shrink faster.
Machines themselves take a beating when they’re running multiple times per week, especially in larger homes with lots of beds. That means more frequent repairs or earlier replacement of washers and dryers.
Airbnb Laundry Linen Essentials
Every Airbnb, whether a cozy downtown studio or multi-story penthouse, can be expected to contain some bare minimum linens. Take bedsheets, for example. You'll obviously need at least one set per bed and spares in storage. Then there are pillowcases, comforters, and duvet covers – ideally two complete sets per bed to allow for washing and drying cycles between guests. For bathroom linens, plan on multiple bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths per guest.
How Much Does Airbnb Laundry Cost?
Laundry is like life in that it comes with costs. These can vary widely depending on the size and occupancy rate of your short-term rental.
Here's an estimate:
- Initial linen investment ($$800 - $$2,500)
- Monthly supplies ($$40 - $$80)
- Utilities ($30 - $$60/month)
- Annual linen replacement
- Equipment maintenance costs
- Labor costs (whether DIY or outsourced)
This works out to a total annual estimate of $2,500 - $$6,000.
What to Do with an Airbnb Laundry Room
Some houses – and really good condos – have laundry rooms. Or in the latter case, some sort of makeshift closet laundry setup. That requires management of its own. Some property owners choose to block guests from laundry machines completely. Closet or room door locked. Others recognize the potential need to run a load of your own during vacations and work rips. It's actually a great perk worth pointing out.
Hedge damage risks to your machines by setting clear, simple boundaries and giving guests just enough guidance to succeed. Start with house rules: specify acceptable hours for running laundry (for noise), cap how many loads are reasonable per stay, and clarify that heavy items like rugs, comforters, and shoes are off-limits. Add a short, printed “how-to” card near the machines that explains which cycles to use, what detergents are provided, and where to empty the lint trap.
Do You Need to Do Airbnb Laundry?
No, you don't need to put linens in your Airbnb. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't. The platform's expectation of hosts is different from that of guests. Because most accommodations usually include it, laundry
Technically, you can host without laundry service by asking guests to bring their own bedding and towels, but doing so will disqualify you from checking off Airbnb’s “Essentials” amenity, which can reduce overall appeal.
How to Make Airbnb Laundry More Manageable
So you're faced with the reality of perpetual laundry duties. Don't stress; any job can be easy with a little delegation and resourcefulness. That's what this next section teaches in three tips.
1. Impose an Airbnb Laundry Fee
Folding ain't free. Well, at least, it doesn't have to be. Airbnb provides hosts with the option to add a variety of surcharges onto bookings. If it's a big job, we recommend one for laundry.
This could be part of a greater cleaning fee or something standalone. Either way, the sky's the limit on what it can cover.
Consider factoring in:
- Detergent, stain removers, dryer balls, and wear-and-tear on machines
- Extra labour time for stripping beds, treating stains, folding, and remaking multiple beds
- Replacement cost for linens that get ruined by makeup, blood, fake tan, or “mystery stains”
- Premiums for rush turnovers where everything has to be washed, dried, and reset in a tight window
A simple rule of thumb: your laundry-related fee should cover your real costs plus a buffer, without being so high that it scares off your ideal guest. If you charge it separately, use the listing description and house rules to briefly explain what it covers so it feels fair instead of arbitrary.
2. Enlist a Local Airbnb Laundry Service
Airbnb laundry services in Toronto aren't hard to find given the size of its market. These pros can and will do it all for a fixed or hourly rate. Outsourcing laundry turns an open-ended chore into a fixed, predictable line item. You trade time and hassle for a known cost, which you can then bake into your nightly rate or cleaning/laundry fee to focus on pricing, guest communication, and growing your portfolio instead of hovering over a washer.
3. Stick to a Smart Schedule
Laundry gets easier the moment you stop treating every turnover like a one-off emergency and start planning around clear minimums. Aim for a simple rotation rule: for every item, have one on the bed, one in the wash, and one clean in reserve. That “rule of three” applies to everything so you’re never depending on a single load finishing on time for the next check-in.
With that buffer in place, your schedule becomes flexible instead of frantic. On tight same-day turnovers, you can prioritize making the beds and setting out fresh towels, then finish the previous guest’s laundry later that day or even during the next, quieter turnover window. On slower days, you (or your cleaner) can catch up fully, treat stains properly, and re-fold everything for storage without racing the clock.
If you routinely host large groups or bigger homes, think beyond just timing and look at raw machine capacity. Two dryers, or a washer-dryer pair plus periodic laundromat runs, can make heavy turnover days far more manageable than trying to push everything through one overworked unit.
Laundry day may be a dreaded day, but when it comes to laundry for Airbnb rentals, you have the privilege of making it the business' cost and time expense. Hopefully this guide helped you save both. Be sure to explore others in our Resources section.
