A Question About Bed-linen

[simon43]

Time to buy new bed-linen for my hotel! When we opened, I was ignorant about these items and we basically just chose what the wholesaler suggested as 'value-for-money' sheets and pillowcases. That was all fine, but I now want to buy new items that are better-suited for the use in question.

We previously purchased white cotton sheets. But since these are washed every day, they rapidly fade to off-white and can show up indelible marks very easily. (If the sheet is freshly-laundered but still has a mark on it, then they cannot be used because a hotel guest will think that the sheet has not been washed...)

They are also a pain to iron...

Has anyone used wrinkle-free sheets? Perhaps in a colour so that they still look ok after fading with use?

To minimise the ironing/management effort, I want to use coloured, fitted, wrinkle-free bottom sheet and a light duvet with a dark-coloured duvet cover and 'crisp' white cotton pillowcases.

How about the washing process? My staff simply chuck them into the washing machine with 'economy' detergent. I'm sure that a better choice of washing powders/conditioners will help to keep the bedlinen looking and smelling fresh.

Any advice??

Simon

[samtam]

In my view coloured sheets are a complete no-no. When there's a mark bleach will get rid of it very easily. Also your sheets should be machine dried to avoid that stinky smell, and put a disposable freshener sheet, (Downey?) in the dryer. Ditto towels.

[t.s]

In my view coloured sheets are a complete no-no. When there's a mark bleach will get rid of it very easily. Also your sheets should be machine dried to avoid that stinky smell, and put a disposable freshener sheet, (Downey?) in the dryer. Ditto towels.

bluing will help combat the grey

[dabest]

use 100% only cotton please

wrinkle free are u joking?

can u even spell "class"?

[torrenova]

Not sure if this helps but here goes.

When we had the baby, I bought about 8 large white cotton bath towels. Obviously you get various marks on them but if you take care (read if I do, not the missus - and there is the problem) then they remain white. How ? well after use, which may be a whole day, you have to soak in something like Vanish liquid (we currently use this) but any marks other than milk really should be cleaned off straight away.

When all else fails, you are back to the bleach. However, if you are too late, then not even bleach will rescue the towel.

For sheets, I find that from our selection, the blue patterned ones are the best over time. Green fades to lighter green then with a white hue and red fades quickly but then remains constant. We use a decent liquid, some conditioner and usually dry outside.

However, in a hotel, I don't think guests want to see lurid patterns and mostly, they want white.

What about cream, using different shades of brown as offsets ? You get the warmth of chocolate yet retain the cleanliness of near white with the cream sheets.

As for fitted sheets then I don't know. I can't remember any hotel from 5* downwards who uses them. I suspect that the top and bottom sheets are the same size and thus interchangeable. Economies due to volume and the very fact that they have two uses is probably why.

As for cleaning them then I think bed linen is one area where a hotel can stand out. Decent detergent and conditioner, partial drying and ironing whilst damp with decent equipment and after training is probably the best way.

What do the top hotels do ? Internal or external ? Surely there must be someone in Phuket who has a large scale laundry business who will explain what they can do, advise on fabrics etc. in the hope of gaining your business.

[simon43]

wrinkle free are u joking

No, I'm not joking. Many 5-star hotels use expensive Egyptian cotton sheets that also have some added poly ingredient to provide the wrinkle-free finish. Very expensive sheets!

Simon

[yabaaaa]

Dont know if possible in Thailand but w e have a boil wash in the UK gets em clean.

[coventry]

wrinkle free are u joking

No, I'm not joking. Many 5-star hotels use expensive Egyptian cotton sheets that also have some added poly ingredient to provide the wrinkle-free finish. Very expensive sheets!

Simon

Shouldn't you then be doing what the 'five stars are doing' ? The only way I know of getting wrinkle free laundry is by using a tumble drier and I doubt they'd sell them here.

[noahvail]

wrinkle free are u joking

No, I'm not joking. Many 5-star hotels use expensive Egyptian cotton sheets that also have some added poly ingredient to provide the wrinkle-free finish. Very expensive sheets!

Simon

Back in NZ I had a small B&B, 5 beds. Had pure Egyptian cotton sheets, a smallish commercial dryer, and ironed the top half. Nothing fitted, think hospital corners. Went to the added poly variety, and were very unhappy. The feel was not as good as the 100% cotton, and we still had to iron. Not worth the extra money imho.

Dryers are available in Bangkok, though I can't remember where I saw them...and use a scent-free dryer sheet - often times folks don't want to smell dryer sheets when they're on holiday (nothing to back that up except anecdotes).

[simon43]

Noahvail, thanks for that very usefil information about the added poly sheets. Since you still have to do some ironing, the justification for using this type of sheet is ... er ... not justified!

I will stick to our 100% cotton sheets but do an 'upgrade' in terms of quality!

We do have a tumbl;e dryer. and use this when required. Usually we tumble a small amount and then finish off in the sunlight. But the rain means that we are having to tumble dry much more. That is an expense because we wash/dry all bedlinen every day for every room, (guests only stay for a single night at our transit hotel).

Just an expense to factor in...

Simon