The Disgusting Truth About How Often Your Hotel Bedding Is Actually Cleaned
Checking into a hotel often feels like stepping into a polished version of real life. Crisp sheets, perfectly folded corners, and an inviting pile of pillows all whisper promises of comfort. But behind the neat presentation, there’s a side of hotel bedding most guests would rather not picture. Let’s just say not every layer of that carefully made bed sees the laundry room as often as you’d hope.
Hotels know appearances matter, so the linens you see and touch directly are usually fresh. But once you start peeling back the layers, the illusion may shatter. When you realize what really happens with duvets, comforters, and those decorative extras, you may never flop onto the bed in the same carefree way again.
Sheets And Pillowcases: The Easy Part
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The good news is that the basic sheets and pillowcases are typically washed between each guest. That’s the industry standard across most hotels. Still, reports have shown occasional lapses, especially during longer guest stays when staff might skip full changes if the room isn’t vacated. A simple visual check for crispness or an odd odor can tell you if fresh linens are on the bed. If you have doubts, most hotels will provide a replacement set if you call the front desk.
Pillowcases get the same treatment, but the pillows themselves are rarely washed. Instead, hotels usually rely on protective covers and replace the actual pillows every couple of years. That works in theory, though studies of pillows at home have found that fungi and dust mites thrive inside them. Given that hotel pillows cycle through countless heads, it’s fair to wonder what’s hiding beneath those crisp white cases.
Comforters And Duvets: Standards Slip Here
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Here’s where things get unsettling. Comforters and duvet inserts are too bulky to launder daily, so they don’t follow the same strict schedule as sheets. At luxury hotels, comforters might be cleaned between each guest or every few days. Mid-range properties may wash them once a week. Budget hotels have been known to stretch that out to once a month, unless a spill forces an emergency wash.
Some chains avoid the problem by using duvets with removable covers that get cleaned alongside sheets. This makes hygiene easier to maintain, but not every hotel has adopted the practice. If you’re staying at a property that relies on heavy comforters without covers, there’s a chance you’re curling up under a blanket that has been through many stays without a proper wash.
Decorative Bedding: The Worst Offender
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Then come the items meant to make the room look stylish: throw pillows, blankets draped across the foot of the bed, and accent runners. These are the worst offenders when it comes to cleanliness. Guests toss them on the floor, use them while fully dressed, and staff often place them right back on the bed without cleaning.
The irony is that these decorative pieces are most common in upscale hotels, where presentation is everything. Yet they’re the least likely to be washed regularly. Travel insiders and even vacation rental cleaners admit that some properties only clean them when they’re visibly soiled or can’t be used anymore.
The Microbe Factor
Science doesn’t make this picture any prettier. Research into bedding, both in hospitals and at home, shows how easily bacteria, fungi, and mites make themselves comfortable. Dust mites, for example, feed on the millions of skin cells humans shed each day. Their droppings are linked to asthma and allergies. Pillow studies have revealed large amounts of Aspergillus fumigatus, a fungus that can be dangerous for people with weak immune systems.
Most people don’t spend much time thinking about microbes, but hospital investigations have found bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus lingering on unwashed sheets. While hospitals wash at high heat to reduce risk, hotel practices vary widely. It’s safe to say that if you’re sensitive or have underlying conditions, the bedding situation deserves a second look.
How You Can Work Around It
Travelers who know the hidden side of hotel bedding often develop their own strategies. Some bring their own sheets or pillow covers. Others ask the front desk for freshly laundered comforters when checking in. Frequent flyers have even been known to leave small notes under comforters to test whether staff actually change them between guests.
If you don’t want to carry bedding in your luggage, the easiest approach is to fold decorative pillows and throws into a corner of the room and avoid using them. Keeping a light top sheet between yourself and the comforter is another practical barrier. And if you’re skeptical about the hotel’s standards, you can make a quick call to ask about cleaning policies before booking.