Red Wine Stains!!

[Lesbatees]

I need advice from those of you who've been in this business longer than I have!

Last night our newly-arrived clients managed to empty half a bottle of red wine over the bed.  It soaked right through to the mattress cover, which fortunately did its job, so the mattress isn't harmed.  However, it has stained a yellow duvet cover (fortunately the stain's come out), and the pale yellow top and bottom sheets (stain still shows).  We poured white wine on it immediately after, and washed the linen using stain remover.  Anyone got any tips on how to get the remaining stains out?

Also, if we can't get the stains out, should we try to charge the clients for replacement?  What are your views?  I don't like to spoil their holiday, but I'm down a set of sheets which it will cost me to replace! 

Val

[winterbunny]

You can buy lots of different makes of stain removers from the supermarket and try another and then put them through the wash again afterwards.  From experience it often leaves a tell tale ring or a slight discolouration.  I wouldn't put sheets like this back on the B&B beds even though I knew they were cleaned properly, people just don't like to see even slight discolourations, they have vivid imaginations.  If they are cotton you could try bleaching or dye them.  If the stain is in the 'right' place you may be able to cut them down and use a singles or pillow cases.  Otherwise replace them.

No, I wouldn't ask the guests to pay for them, if they haven't offered already you are unlikely to get anything other than a grudging payment and they won't come back.  If the mattress is  even slightly stained put in an insurance claim for the lot, that's what our professional insurance is for, otherwise it's probably not worth a claim for sheets alone. 

It's part and parcel of B&B I'm afraid, that if an accident can happen, it will, all you can hope is that your guests tell you straight away and don't try to hide it until they've gone!  The quicker you can deal with a problem the easier to solve it.

Buns

[Coco]

That's exactly why we now have it in our booking conditions that alcohol is not to be consumed in the bedrooms.  Our first guests last year were having a bottle of red wine a night in their room and when they left the room looked like the Texas chainsaw massacre had taken place: wine on the sheets, the white counterpane, ring marks on the furniture and the cloth on the bedside table!!!  And of course, to top it all, it was their own wine, so we weren't even making any money out of it. 

Unlike Buns, I'm afraid if they did that much damage I would certainly drop the hint that I would now have to replace all the bed linen - if they cough up begrudgingly at least you've covered the cost.  However, I suppose the fact that I have already made it clear that alcohol is not allowed in the bedrooms, so they've already broken the house rules and I would expect recompense.  If they're that begrudging about paying I wouldn't worry about not having them back either!

But, as Buns also says, accidents do happen and it's part and parcel of B&B, so if someone had been sitting in the lounge or dining room and ruined a tablecloth I would grin and bear it.

[mascamps.com]

Out of curiosity, do you guys all clean your own sheets or do you use a blanchisserie?

We've sent ours off with some pretty weird stains now and again and they've generally come back fine.

We've not had a stain going right through to the mattress yet but are planning on replacing the beds and mattresses over the next couple of years anyway as we want to take the bed sizes up a bit.

 

Arnold