Bedding Solutions

Hi, Linda Harley here!

Nothing beats getting into a comfy luxurious bed after 24 hour door to door trip from Cape Town South Africa to Atlanta Georgia...

For that matter, getting into a freshly made bed with bedding just out of the dryer is just as intoxicating and makes me instantly feel relaxed and at home.

So it is no wonder that one of the most frequently asked questions that First Time STR Hosts have centers around what type of bedding they should have.

Today I'm going to break down your options for you.

We'll look at the pros and cons of each, and I'll give you a few tips and tricks of the trade!

How does that sound?

Great! Let's get started.

Blankets

Blankets come in all shapes and sizes from real sheeps wool, to soft fleece, to woven.

The biggest benefit of going with blankets are that they are super easy to wash and quick to dry and a good quality blanket will hold up good and last you longer than your sheets will!

It is always a good idea to have a few extra blankets in your house, because you never know when your guests are going to be cold and want the extra warmth.

*blushes* I have too many blankets to count at the moment. I love scooping up these soft buddies especially in the cold winter months.

Quilts

When I think of quilts I think of the hand sewn quilt my mom made when I was a teenager.

It took her months to cut up all the pieces and then painstakingly sew each piece back together in a pattern.

Nowadays though they cheat ;p They print the quilted pattern right onto the linen then layer in the backing with a plain sheet underneath, and then run an industrial sewing machine over the printed pattern to give the illusion of a hand sewn quilt.

Quilts are lightweight but can still be warm depending on the type of backing material used. Many people prefer to sleep under quilts because they are lightweight. Especially if you toss and turn at night when you sleep!

Quilts are easy to wash, and dries even faster than blankets do. However, they do not hold up as well to repeated washing, as the stitches do tend to come apart. But since the stitches don't hold the quilt together, you can snip off any loose ends.

Comforter

When people think of luxury they think of a down comforter, but it could also have a synthetic stuffed substitute.

They are warm! They are fluffy! They are comfy!

If you're going for an upscale short term rental, then this would be the perfect bedding option for you.

They come in many different colors and patterns to match your taste and décor.

However, be warned that comforters can be a beast to maintain. They require delicate washing, long drying periods and fluffing of the down (that tends to go down over time). Thus they are more expensive to maintain than blankets or quilts.

In my first STR, I went with the comforter. It lasted about 6 months of giving me headaches, before I ditched them and went to quilts and blankets. I tried everything with them, but in the end the maintenance was cost prohibitive on that particular property.

Duvet

Simply put a duvet is a comforter with a duvet cover. The duvet cover is like a pillowcase for your comforter.

If your heart is set on having comforters in your home, it is highly recommended that you make use of duvet covers.

The benefit of duvet covers are that you only have to strip the duvet covers and stick it in the wash. This reduces the amount of times that you have to wash the actual comforter, thereby extending the life of the comforter.

Many hotels have modified the duvet comforter to being just two sheets that are folded neatly around the comforter.

The downside of the duvet cover is that it can be cumbersome to don/doff and the comforter has a tendency to move about in the duvet cover.

Fastenings can vary from buttons, to zippers, to snaps... My preference is to use snaps that will secure the corner of the comforter inside the duvet cover.

Which one did I pick?

I started off with the comforter, then migrated to the duvet covers when the comforters started losing their color. Then I finally gave up, and now I only use a combination of printed quilts and blankets.

Where to find these bed covers?

I get everything off of Amazon. I've done the comparative shopping in my area, and Amazon beats the prices every time.

Here is the Quilt that I absolutely adore! It comes in a variety of colors. I have had these quilts for over a year and they get washed once per day. They are still as perfect as the day I got them. Great buy!

This is my absolute favorite blanket. They have 10+ different colors and all different sizes. They are nice and soft on the inside and soft to the touch. You are bound to find a color that will suite your needs.

What to do next?

I hope that you found this blog post useful and would like to know more about how to be successful in your Short Term Rental Journey. If so, then sign up for the FREE Launch Your First Airbnb Challenge!

Let me help you get off to a great start!

Too da loo

Linda