How many towels do you need for 5 guests?
Short answer
For 5 guests with laundry done on site, plan on 15 bath towels, 12 hand towels, 15 washcloths and 6 bath mats: one set in use, one in the wash and one spare. With off-site laundry or a linen service, plan on 20 bath towels, 16 hand towels and 20 washcloths.
- Sample beds
- A Queen bed, a Full bed and a Twin sofa bed
- Bathrooms assumed
- 2
- Laundry per turnover
- 21.2 lb, 3 loads
- Closet space
- 4½ shelves
- Towels at catalog prices
- $259.63 (IKEA, Oct 30, 2026)
Five guests is where our model adds a second bathroom, which makes it the biggest jump on the scale. Homes that sleep five are often two-bedrooms with a sofa bed, and plenty of them have only one bathroom; the first question below gives that count. Our sample is a 2-bedroom home with 2 bathrooms: a Queen bed, a Full bed and a Twin sofa bed. The math: 5 guests × 3 cycles gives 15 bath towels and 15 washcloths; 2 bathrooms × 2 × 3 gives 12 hand towels, plus 6 bath mats.
| Item | On-site laundry (3 cycles) | Off-site or linen service (4 cycles) | Cost on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath towels | 15 | 20 | $119.85 |
| Hand towels | 12 | 16 | $59.88 |
| Washcloths | 15 | 20 | $19.96 |
| Bath mats | 6 | 8 | $59.94 |
| Total | 48 | 64 | $259.63 |
Beds for 5 guests
A Queen bed, a Full bed and a Twin sofa bed in 2 bedrooms take 9 sheet sets with laundry on site. The fifth guest brings 3 bath towels and 3 washcloths, and our model's second bathroom brings 6 hand towels and 3 mats on top: $88.87 more than for 4.
| Beds | Sheet sets | Other pieces | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen bed | 3 | 5 | $304.92 |
| Full bed | 3 | 5 | $252.95 |
| Twin sofa bed | 3 | 4 | $149.93 |
| Pillows and pillow protectors | 10 | $149.90 | |
| Total | 9 | 24 | $857.70 |
Turnover laundry and closet space
Each turnover washes 5 bath towels, 5 washcloths, 4 hand towels and 2 mats: 9 lb, 1 load. Bedding adds 12.2 lb, washed apart from towels. In all, 3 loads take about 4 hours on one washer and dryer, so an 11 am to 4 pm turnover works only if the first load goes in right away.
Clean spares fill 4½ shelves of a 24 in closet: 32 towels and mats, 6 sheet sets and their covers.
Planning weights, dry: bath towel 0.9 lb (VÅGSJÖN specs), Queen set 2.5 lb, Full set 2 lb, Twin set 1.5 lb; 12 lb per load in a 4.5 cu ft washer.
Adjust for your rental
What changes the count
- Laundry off site keeps a set away, which adds a fourth cycle: 16 more pieces for 5 guests (20 bath towels in place of 15).
- If the second bathroom is a half bath, enter 1.5: hand towels stay at 12, and bath mats drop to 3.
Frequently asked questions
My 5-guest rental has one bathroom. What changes?
Only the bathroom lines: 6 hand towels and 3 bath mats instead of 12 and 6. Bath towels and washcloths stay at 15 each, because they follow guests.
Does the second bathroom need its own plunger and hair dryer?
A plunger, yes: the planner counts one per toilet, so 2 here. A hair dryer, no: one per home covers most stays, kept where guests on either bathroom can find it.
Do it for your rental
Enter your beds and laundry routine. See how many sheet sets and towels your rental needs.
Calculate towels for my rental