How to Best Care for Your Hotel Sheets
Believe it or not, your hotel sheets matter. Your guests want to sleep on perfect hotel quality sheets. That means freshly washed, luxuriously smooth, and crisp hotel sheets.
So, are you offering your guests super comfortable, squeaky clean, and cosy bed sheets?
And another thing: how do you maintain your hotel sheets’ perfect hygiene week in week out, guest after guest?
Keep reading and you will find out amazing ideas to help you take care of your hotel sheets the easy way.
1. Always Use Hotel Quality Sheets
Firstly, what are hotel quality sheets? Hotel quality sheets are sheets:
- Specifically designed for the hospitality industry
- Made from superior fabric that feels extremely luxurious, soft, smooth, and crisp
- Crispier, heavier, and thicker compared to retail bed sheets
- Comprise of a thicker thread/weave that can withstand frequent use and regular washing
With that in mind, how do you select hotel quality sheets? Here are your clues:
- Choose a bed sheet material that best suits your needs: silk, cotton, linen, poly-cotton blend, microfiber, bamboo, etc.
- Pay attention to the thread count on the bed sheet label. Remember inflated higher thread count does not mean that you are getting a better fabric
- Pick a suitable fabric weave for your hotel sheets. Percale and sateen weave are popular with bed sheets
- Know the right bed sheet size so that your sheets fit perfectly on your bed
Now that you know how to select your hotel quality sheets, let’s help you with some keyword ideas to Google (just to make your search easier):
- Linen wholesalers Australia
- Wholesale bed linen suppliers
- Linen suppliers Australia
- Motel linen for sale
- Hotel quality linen Australia
- Hotel linen suppliers Australia
In case you want to cut to the chase, check out Australian Linen Supply. Here, you will get commercial linen supplies to suit your needs. Whether you are operating:
- Apartments
- Bed & Breakfasts
- Boutiques and lodges
- Farm Stays
- Holiday Homes
- Holiday parks and campgrounds
- Homestays
- Hostels
- Hotels
- Luxury Lodges
- Motels
For example:
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2. Change Your Hotel Sheets Accordingly
How often accommodation properties change their bed sheets largely depends on the quality and integrity of the establishment.
Generally:
- Universal: all accommodation properties replace sheets and mattress pads upon checkout
- High-end hotels: habitually gives guests an option to have their sheets changed daily or every third day as an environmental platitude
- Mid-scale hotels: may or may not give their guests an option
- Daily?
- After three nights or earlier if the guest checks out?
- After every second day of a guest’s stay or earlier in case of check out?
- When the sheets are soiled?
- When the customer requests you to change their sheets?
- After each guest checkout?
Here’s the thing:
Whatever your routine is, know that your customers are taking notes. Therefore, change your hotel sheets accordingly.
Read this and this too - customers complaining about poor accommodation services including dirty sheets.
And before we go any further, we’ll leave you with a video of hotels that were caught not changing their bed sheets for new guests.
You may also like: Hotel Quality Sheets: 7 Thought-Provoking Questions Answered.
3. Clean Your Hotel Quality Sheets the Right Way
Different fabrics need different cleaning care. So, the first step towards cleaning your hotel sheets right is knowing your symbols.
And how do you that?
By reading all labels on your bed sheets. And taking note of any specific cleaning requirements.
That includes:
- The right washing cycle to use
- The ideal method to use to dry your bed sheets
- The right ironing temperature to use
- When to use a cold or hot wash or in between
- When to use or avoid bleach
4. Sort Your Hotel Sheets Before Washing
Start by separating your hotel sheets before washing them. Sort your bed linen by the following categories:
Degree of soiling: Dirtier bed sheets should be washed separately on longer heavy duty cycle - separate from the less soiled ones
Colour shades: Deep coloured bed sheets may bleed, therefore, wash them separately from your white and light coloured bed sheets
Fabric type: Finer fabrics like silk should be washed separately from other bed sheets that are made from less sensitive fabrics such as polyester
Item Size: Mix large and small items together for better washing actions. A typical example may include washing your hotel sheets, pillowcases, and mattress pads together
Fabric weight: Heavier beddings like blankets and duvets should be washed separately from lighter fabrics such as bed linen
5. Get Rid of Ugly Stains
Once you understand how to pre-treat stains, then you will have an easy time keeping your commercial bed sheets stain free.
Keep the following points in mind:
- If you manage to treat the stain quickly, it will vanish easily
- Rubbing the stained fabric together will blot the stain. To prevent the stain from expanding, use a white cloth and blot the stain from the edges
- Launder the stained bed sheets as quickly as possible. Use the label’s warmest recommended water
- Got a stubborn stain? Soak the stained sheets in plain water for 30 minutes
- Pour detergent on the stain and wait for 5 to 10 minutes before washing your sheets
Here are some common stains that you may have to deal with:
- Coffee, tea, berries, and sweat stains
- Blood, dirt, and motor oil stains
- Butter, margarine, or grease stains
- Chewing gum stains, among others
We suppose you could use a stain removal cheat sheet. Take a look and don’t forget to pin it.
6. Use the Appropriate Cleaning Detergents
You know that using the right detergent for your laundry load is important, right? Plus, using that detergent in the right amount?
So how do you determine the amount of detergent to use?
These are the factors that will help you decide:
- The quantity of your load
- How dirty your bed sheets are
- The hardness or softness of your water
- The type (read quality) of the detergent you are using
Before we go to the next point, we’ll take a quick look at the qualities of a good commercial detergent.
Here we go:
- Built to remove tough stains efficiently
- Cleans your bed sheets and leaves them with a fresh mild fragrant
- Keeps your white bed sheets white or whiter
- Shields your coloured sheets from fading
- Usable in any temperature
7. Load Your Washing Machine Properly
You could be having the best washing machine. And the best laundry detergent. But if you don’t know how to load your washing machine properly, you won’t get the best results.
So how do you load your washing machine the right way?
- By knowing your washer's drum and load size. This also helps you save time and energy
- By not overstuffing your laundry. A hack that also saves on water
In order to determine the perfect load size, do this:
Place your hand into the drum. If your hand fits between your laundry and side of the drum, know that you have the perfect load size.
8. Select the Right Wash Cycle
The bed sheet’s care label will help you know the right wash cycle. So be sure to check it first.
Once you sort your bed sheets by colour and fabric type, it will be easy to set the wash cycle.
Check out the table below for more information:
| Cycle | Fabric Type | Remarks |
| Normal/ Regular Cycle | Best for white sheets or heavily soiled sheets | Uses fast agitation in the wash cycle, and a fast spin cycle |
| Delicate Cycle | Best for bed sheets with a “gentle wash” tag. For example, silk sheets | Uses slow agitation in the wash cycle, and a slow rinse cycle |
| Permanent Press Cycle | Best for non-cotton bed sheets and synthetic fibres such as rayon and polyester | Uses fast agitation in the wash cycle, and a slow spin cycle |
Along with getting your wash cycle right, you also need to pay attention to the water temperature.
Why? Because the right water temperature helps you to:
- Get amazingly clean and bright bed sheets
- Keep your coloured bed sheets from running and bleeding
- Banish spots and odours
The table below helps paint a clearer picture.
| Water Temperature | Fabric Type | Purpose |
| Cold Setting |
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| Warm Setting |
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| Hot Setting |
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Hot water removes the toughest stains and gives your bed sheets a deep clean |
Tip: Wash your hotel sheets with the hottest water temperature listed on the care label. Hot water kills germs and eliminates dust mites that synonymous with bedding.
9. Properly Dry Your Hotel Quality Sheets
Now that your hotel sheets are nicely clean and fresh, the next obvious thing is to dry them accordingly.
Therefore, do this:
- Immediately take your hotel sheets out of the washer (to avoid musty smells)
- Check the care labels on the hotel sheets to help you dry them appropriately
- Select the right drying temperature to prevent shrinkage and damaging the fibres
Tip: If possible, hang your bed sheets to dry outside on a clothesline. Sunshine is a natural disinfectant that also brightens whites.
10. Handle Hotel Sheets Wrinkles Like A Pro
Ironing is by far the most common method used to remove wrinkles from hotel sheets. Plus, ironing helps kill the last of germs and dust mites that may have remained after washing.
By the way, wrinkled hotel sheets look unsightly and feel not-so-good to sleep on. But which guest can resist impossibly smooth bed sheets that feel amazingly good against their skin?
But let’s face it, ironing manually is a time-consuming and costly task. No wonder established accommodation properties stick their bed sheets through a huge machine - straight from the washer. And that huge machine dries and folds their hotel sheets instantly - in about 30 seconds.
So is there any other way to take care of wrinkled bed linen? Some accommodation property owners have handy tips that you can borrow.
Keep reading...
“Remove from dryer as soon as they are done and fold them. You'd be amazed at how fast sheets wrinkle just sitting in the dryer” - Zacharias
“To get the best results, I wash and spin on a slow speed, dry them on the line in the wind, fold and smooth carefully. When I make the bed I spray a fine mist of water on the sheets (a great tip I got from someone in the CC) and just keep smoothing my hands across the duvet covers and pillow-cases. This is best done the day before. The result isn't the shine that ironing gives, but they're certainly wrinkle-free and look great.” - Julia
“Keep your sheets, just dry on low and take them out immediately. I had horrible wrinkles drying on high heat. Now, almost none.” - Jess
“Any sheet made of polyester/cotton 50:50 will be fine, easy to wash, no ironing and If they are thin (as upper sheet) it will dry quickly.” - Branka & Silvia
“I triple sheet my beds and to get it absolutely wrinkle free, I put my sheets on the bed slightly damp. Works like a charm!” - Sarah
“When I grew up, there was no permanent press materials yet, all sheets had to be ironed. Never again. I find the dryer works just fine for getting out wrinkles. I've never had a complaint about wrinkles, nor do I expect any.” - Kate
11. Store Your Hotel Sheets Appropriately
Keep your freshly laundered hotel sheets and bedding in a cool dry place. And away from direct sunlight to avoid fading.
But before you store your bed linen, you need to fold them appropriately and store them in a way that doesn’t take up much space.
Learn from this video.
12. Know When It Is Time to Buy New Sheets
The greatest tip to keeping your commercial linen looking and feeling great is to know when it is time to buy new hotel sheets.
To cut off the guesswork, here are some hints to look out for:
- Materials: the fabric used on your hotel sheets has the ideal time it should last. Natural fibres such as cotton, silk, and linen tend to last longer than synthetic fibres.
- Wear and tear: always check for wear and tear signs on your bed sheets. Fading, loose fibres, and piling are some of the signs that you should be buying new sheets for your guests
- The age of the bed sheets: your commercial sheets are exposed to sweat, bacteria, frequent use, and regular washing. These factors dramatically reduce the bed sheet’s lifespan
- Stains: it is hard to get rid of some stubborn stains. Therefore, replace stained bed sheets with new ones. Don’t let your guests endure sleeping on stained bed sheets
With that in mind, it begs for the next question:
Where to Buy Hotel Quality Sheets in Australia?
The easiest way to buy hotel quality sheets is to shop online. There are many wholesale bed linen suppliers to check out.
While at it, check out Australian Linen Supply.
Australian Linen Supply is one of Australia’s leading importers and distributors of linen products designed for commercial laundry use, the hospitality sector and healthcare industries.
Here’s a sneak peek of Australian Linen Supply bed linen range:
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Happy Shopping!
Photo Courtesy:
Image by Dirk (Beeki®) Schumacher from Pixabay
Steve Jobs Brainy Quote
Laundry Symbols from Tide
Drying hotel sheet symbols from Hexperformance
