AirBnB host eco tips
Following on from an eco talk I gave to AirBnB hosts in Cairns in late 2023, I promised I would provide some information from that talk.
Just for starters, eco is short for ecological and encompasses sustainable, non-toxic and natural.
There is a distinction between eco more broadly, and chemically safe. So I'm keeping it simple here.
Switching to eco doesn't have to equal big dollars, but eco accommodation is usually marketed as niche and therefore expensive. There is no reason for it to be!
Trivia of the day: Decades ago, hospitals went natural with their cleaning! Why? Because it is EFFECTIVE, and far more effective than the bleach and other toxic cleaners they used to use.
There are several good products in supermarkets, including Planet Ark and EcoStore.
Beware of the brand Earth Choice - some of their products are good, some not. E.g. this canary in a coalmine cannot be in the same room as the Earth Choice dishwashing liquid!
In general, keep alert for 'greenwashing' ... brands and products promoting themselves as green when they are not.
You can also look for things like:
~ The Asthma Foundation 'Sensitive'
~ 'Septic safe' good for all systems
~ 'Hypo-allergenic'
~ Fragrance free
Other good, safe brands not in the supermarket include:
~ Ecologic
~ Biologika
~ Kin Kin
~ Herbon
And of course, there is always good ol' fashioned white vinegar and bi-carb!
Enjo and its various knock-offs are also fantastic cleaners without the need for any products.
Depending on your size and what you offer, you may be able to arrange a wholesale account. E.g. UHP (Unique Health Products).
(You can sell products too! E.g. Someone has left their toothpaste/soap etc. at home.)
Otherwise, if you can't find what you need at the supermarkets, you can buy from wholefoods/health shops.
A very effective mould cleaner is 100% natural essential oils. You can make it yourself, or buy it from Essential Shield (online store).
The essential oils are cinnamon bark, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary and clove oil. All five ensure getting rid of all types of mould (as the individual essential oils can't cover off all of them).
Filtered water is also a huge bonus - one of those value-adds that get you brownie points. It's especially important if your water is not the best. The taste of chlorine in mains water is not so great, and it is toxic to your body. (You can also use shower filters so a safe, clear, lovely shower!) Even if only a Britta jug, it's a great help. Even better, though not cheap, is under sink systems or benchtop filters.
Even if you can't do 100% eco, anything you can do helps.
What to avoid:
~ Plug in or other air fresheners!
~ Scented candles
~ Incense sticks
~ Every flush toilet cleaners
~ Pressure can sprays - air fresheners, pesticides, etc.
~ Bleach
~ Any product that has 'perfume, parfum, fragrance' in the ingredients (it is always artificial, unless it states that it's natural, and even then, look closely at the ingredients to verify it). Did you know that a chemistry name for artificial/synthetic fragrances is 'volatile aromatic solvents'? Enough said!
There are less obvious products like toilet paper and tissues that are often fragranced. You are probably not aware that people can react to them. (I always take my own when I travel!)
In supermarkets, look for fragrance-free, or hypoallergenic.
Tissues like iCare are not only eco, they have iCare on the box, which gets you brownie points.
Toilet paper can get you brownie points too, especially if you use brands like 'No Issues' and 'Who Gives a Crap' (the latter donates 50% of profits to developing countries for sanitation projects).
Also keep in mind that the fragrances on you can linger in spaces and be quite strong for canaries in coalmines (e.g. clothes washed in fragranced laundry powder, any personal care products, hair products, etc.)
Just to have your back...
If you do go all out, you can niche your listing and promote it as such. If you are only partially there, you can say you're in the process of transitioning to eco, or that where possible you include eco. (Definitely lets you off the hook.)
However, there's a caveat! There can be things beyond your control:
E.g. if a previous guest has full-on fragrances that impact the next guest. Fragrances can be infused into your furniture and stay there for days or even weeks (depending on how strong it is.) It can impact the linen, where washing it does not resolve it. (I have had to air things out for weeks sometimes!)
We get the whole guest spectrum - from whatever/don't care, through to majorly care/super sensitive.
It's not a big deal if that next guest doesn't care, however, it potentially would be a concern for any sensitive guests. Some are super-sensitive. Ask lots of questions to have their back and your own!
Most likely a sensitive guest will take the time to message you with specific questions. That's potentially tricky if you don't have experience. Better to err on the side of 'perhaps best not to stay here.'
When we added a new kitchenette, we had to buy what is price-accessible (i.e. standard products that off-gas quite strongly for a long while). With that, my partner constructed all the cabinets in the workshop and left them airing out for a few months before installing them. He also used rubberwood extensively, as it is a fantastic, well-priced, non-toxic product from Bunnings.
There are lots of possibilities these days for non-toxic or low-toxic products for refurbishments, such as RockCote for paint and other applications.
Dealing with termites and ants, there are non-toxic methods, however, they can be expensive. e.g. Sentricon for termites.
Sometimes it is unavoidable to call in the pest control people. The key here is a duty of care to disclose if there has been a recent treatment to anyone who has advised they have a compromised immune system.
If you transition your listing slowly over time, you can do so quite easily and seamlessly. For example, when you run low on a product, replace it with an alternative. After a few months, you might just discover you're far more eco than not.
All the best!