How often do hotels replace mattresses? Most hotels replace their mattresses every three to five years, though the specific timetable varies between establishments based on volume, usage, and budget, type of mattress, and mattress brand.
It really depends on your establishment, but the average seems to be anywhere from three to five years. Some establishments will sell their old mattresses to other hotels or give them away to an organization such as Habitat for Humanity.
Hotels beds are incredibly comfortable thanks to their use of mattress toppers. These can significantly adjust mattress firmness and the quality of your rest. A mattress topper is simply an added layer of cushioning that rests on top of your old mattress and provides support and extra levels of comfort.
Most mattresses that are replaced at your local hotels are typically sent to mattress recycling facilities. For example, Hilton and other luxury hotels have their own mattress programs, while others rely on local recycling donation centers. Other old mattresses are either donated, sold or sent to a landfill.
Most hotels rotate their sheets and towels regularly according to their guidelines and regulations. Some hotels change linens in every room once every three days, while others will only change the sheets and towels if a customer specifically requests it.
Sheets are usually changed between guests, and sometimes state law requires it, but there's no guarantee that they will be. As for bedspreads, forget it. As countless hidden-camera investigative TV programs have confirmed, they aren't washed regularly.
Typically, hotels wash their linens once a week. That includes sheets, pillowcases, and all kinds of comforters. However, they usually change sheets and pillowcases between guests. Ritz Carlson, the Peninsula, and the Four Seasons chain say they change all bed linen and covers between guests.
Hotel staff typically only change the sheets and don't sanitize the mattresses themselves. Housekeepers in some hotels also flip mattresses every month to ensure that one side isn't receiving all the grime, though Pruitt reportedly requested a pillow-top mattress, which cannot be flipped.
If you buy a used bed, you'll need to ensure it has been sanitized according to state government standards and inspected by a local authority. It's also important to check your state's laws because in some areas, selling an old mattress is illegal.
If you take something from your hotel room, you can expect an extra charge on your bill. Robes and towels are so commonly stolen that many hotels now list the charge right on the hanger; they will automatically bill the credit card they have on file for the extra cost of replacing these items.
Hotel beds are so comfortable because hotel mattresses are often high-quality. Although all hotels don't use the same mattress, they sometimes consist of a hybrid spring latex foam or memory foam. These mattresses provide pressure relief and support for your body while also being soft enough for comfort.
Typically, the mattresses used in hotel rooms are medium-firm. This is because medium-firm mattresses can accommodate all three sleep positions. Back, side, and stomach sleepers will feel supported with proper spine, neck, and hip alignment.
Ritz-Carlton
Exclusively designed for The Ritz-Carlton by Stearns & Foster, the Ritz-Carlton bed features special foam and coil technology that will keep you cooler at night, while still remaining soft and inviting.
Guest aren't expected to strip the bed, but should you decide to, make sure to leave the comforter on a chair or in the closet, not on the floor. And don't ball the bed linens up with the blanket, keep them separate. Looking to book a trip?
They get reused by the hotel
Instead of getting thrown away, depending on it's condition, a bed sheet might be transformed into a pillow case, a table cloth, or covers, if it merely was torn and still in good usable condition.
Softer Mattress
Beds at hotels are often softer since that's what customers choose for their rest. After a long day of travel, the softer padding may assist the body to relax and obtain some much-needed contouring and comfort.
Typically, manufacturers recommend replacing your mattress every eight years. But according to Consumer Reports, a mattress that's well cared for could easily last a decade. (Unless you're over 40. By that age, your body tolerates less pressure, which means you might need a new mattress after five to seven years.)
You can sanitize and disinfect your mattress using natural household cleaners or a commercial spray meant to disinfect sweat stains and kill germs. It's best to avoid sprays and solutions that contain bleach as this can damage the mattress fibers. You can also spray an enzyme cleaner on the mattress.
Take off all the sheets from the bed. Look for dried red or black spots on the mattress, this is evidence bed bugs excrement. Have your phone's flashlight out to better light the area. Check the underside of the mattress, most hotels flip and rotate their mattresses about 4 times a year.
Make sure bed sheets are clean
There are a few ways you can check, but the easiest is, of course, a visual scan. If they look stained, crumpled or have hair on them, ask for a change immediately (or, better still, find a different hotel). Your nose can also be useful here – if they smell, it's a no-no.
Glassware, linen and the TV remote
Typically, they don't get cleaned between guests and become a breeding ground for bacteria. Use the pillows from the closet; they're more likely to be freshly washed than the ones on the bed.
Here's what should happen: The standard operating procedure is for towels and sheets to be changed between every guest, according to Joe McInerney, president of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (www.ahla.org). Towels are also swapped out every day at some, but not all properties. "Some do, some don't," he says.
One of the most well-known secrets of the hotel industry in keeping their sheets enviably is peroxide-based detergents. Bleach is also added to the mix. While these chemicals are truly effective in preventing white linens from greying or turning yellow, they do require some level of expertise.
The life of a typical hotel pillow is 18 to 36 months.