The Most Important Thing To Do to Prepare for Overnight House Guests

In less than one week, we will be welcoming my husband’s family for a two week stay in our home. They currently live in Portugal, so when they come to visit, they make it worth their while. Since they stay with us for an extended period of time, I do my best to make them feel at home. While preparing for their upcoming stay, I’ve decided the most important thing to do to prepare for overnight house guests is to freshen up all the guest linens.

While our guest linens don’t get used as often as our personal collection, they are still susceptible to musty smells and stiff fibers. The last thing I want is for my guests to wipe their face with a towel or crawl into the sheets only to be met with a stink and stiffness. Instead, I envision them pressing the towel against their face and breathing in the fresh scent deeply and snuggling up in bed knowing the sheets were recently washed.

I know preparing for any type of guest can feel like a daunting task and taking on any atypical chores is the last thing anyone wants to add to their to-do list. Fortunately, this important way to prepare for overnight house guests is a simple task and only requires two cleaning agents and some hot water. Plus, your washing machine will do most of the work!

The Most Important Thing To Do to Prepare for Overnight House Guests

Freshening up guest linens is a lot easier than you think, and I’m happy to report, it works! It’s totally worth the little extra effort it takes and your guests will appreciate it more than you know.

So, what do you need?

All you will need is 1 cup of vinegar, ½ cup of baking soda and hot water from your washing machine.

How to Freshen Up Guest Linens

In order to remove musty smells and soften towels, bed sheets and even pillows, you will need to run two cycles in your washing machine.

First Cycle – White Distilled Vinegar

Set your washer to hot water and add only 1 cup of white distilled vinegar. Do not add anything else. The vinegar will break down detergent and fabric softener build up to help soften the fibers. Do not remove the towels from the machine once the cycle is complete.

Second Cycle – Baking Soda

Keep the washer set to hot water and add only ½ cup of baking soda. Do not add anything else. The baking soda will remove odors, dirt and grease build up.

Dry Completely

After your linens have gone through both cycles, place them in the dryer immediately or line dry them in the sun. Make sure they are dried completely before folding or hanging.

*If drying pillows, add a couple tennis balls wrapped in socks to the dryer. It’ll be noisy, but they will help fluff your pillows and prevent the stuffing from clumping.

Tips

• Feel free to repeat this method if the odors and stiffness are not removed to your satisfaction.
• Do not use this method for every wash cycle. Only use this method when you notice a musty smell and stiffness in your linens.
• Add some essential oils to the second cycle with your preferred scent.
• This method also works on clothes such as gym wear, sock and bathing suits!

So, what do you think? Will you try this tip the next time you prepare for overnight house guests?

-Shannon

P.s. since we’re talking about laundry, if you’re interested in seeing some of my laundry room refresh, be sure to head over to Old Time Pottery for all the details. Plus, you’ll see what I’m storing in there these days.