Reducing Wear & Tear – Give Your Hotel Linens a Rest

Special thanks to our Standard Textile team member David Weisbrot for guest authoring this article. As a Textile Consultant, David serves the hospitality industry in the Mid-Atlantic region. Connect with David on LinkedIn.

As we enter our sixth month of the pandemic, many companies have figured out how to create leaner, stronger teams, and we all have learned a lot about how to navigate the day-to-day with less. We are living with a smaller amount of everything: Fewer business trips, less coffee runs, little to no social outings with friends. And for many of you in the hospitality space, less operating supplies, including sheets and towels.

Impact of Reducing Par

Most hotels right now are living on less par levels than ever before as they try to keep costs down as business slowly rebounds. Hotels typically operate on 3-4 par levels to quickly turn over rooms and answer the demands of their guests. Operating on 1 par, having 1 set of linen per bed in the hotel, leaves hotels operating on the barest bones they can. For some hotels, this means they could be stripping the beds in the morning, washing, drying and placing those same linens on the bed for the next guest that same night. What most hoteliers do not know is that more frequent processing leads to a shorter life for the linen and terry.

Natural Fibers Need a Nap

Think twice before you wash and replace your sheets without giving them time to rest!

I know my Inbox has been starting to fill up from clients asking questions like, “Why is my new linen already ripping?” I have had to explain that this could be due to operating on a short supply of linen. Cotton is a natural fiber and all-natural fibers work best when they are allowed to have some downtime, just like people! Downtime for sheets and towels allows them to regain moisture from the environment and gives them the most luxurious hand they can possibly have. If product is not allowed to regain that moisture, it can have a rougher hand and the product may rip easier. Take for example your favorite t-shirt. If you wore it every day and washed it every night, it would not be the same quality t-shirt after a week, let alone a month.

Innovation & Laundry Tips for Longer Service Life

Standard Textile has always innovated to offer products that will last longer and withstand the rigors of industrial processing. We always discuss with our clients, “Will this reduce your cost per use?” because at the end of the day, we want our clients to get the most value for their dollar. We offer products with Centium Core Technology, combining the best of two worlds: softness and durability. The cotton we use is blended with polyester microfilaments in a unique way to make sure the product lasts as long as possible.

There are several variables help keep sheets and towels in use as long as possible. One, it is important to make sure the correct proportion of chemicals are used in the laundry. Another thing to look for are any sharp edges or burrs in the laundry chutes, bins, washers and dryers. Last, but not least, ask if you are giving the sheets and towels a breather between uses. We all need a breather during the pandemic, even sheets and towels!

As we navigate this challenging time, don’t forget to take a breath and give your linen a break.