NEWS

Hotels: How Often Should You Replace Pillows and Bedding?

Considering the average person is in bed for around eight hours every night - and humans typically spend a third of their life asleep - creating a comfortable and calm bedroom set-up is a worthwhile investment. The same principles apply to hotel rooms. From check-in to check-out, guests typically spend the majority of their stay in bed, and given that this is one of the main parts of the experience they judge the quality of their stay on, getting the bed and bed linen right is essential.

Good quality bedding that’s soft, comfortable and conducive to a good night's sleep is the most important part of the guestroom. Yet, pillows and bedding naturally start to decline in quality and cleanliness over time. As such, hotels must regularly replace these bedroom essentials to maintain guest comfort and satisfaction.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

  • The benefits of good quality bedding
  • How long do pillows last 
  • How often to replace your duvet
  • How often do hotels change pillows and bedding
  • How to prolong the lifespan of pillows and bedding 
Quality hotel bed linen

Why should you change your pillows and bedding?

As we sleep, the body sheds hair, dead skin cells and body oil that, alongside dust and dirt, accumulates in our bedding. While careful cleaning and maintenance can help to refresh bedding, experts recommend replacing it periodically.  Old pillows and bedding can have negative impacts on health and wellbeing, including: 
  • Poor sleep - When the body’s rest, relaxation and recovery is impacted, it can affect mood and concentration. In the long term, this can lead to health issues and even make you more susceptible to serious conditions, such as strokes and heart attacks.
  • Back and neck pain - The bed and pillow must support the head, neck and spine for a good sleep posture. Ageing pillows and mattresses don’t provide the same comfort, alignment or support, and can lead to uncomfortable aches and pains.
  • Snoring and sleep apnoea - Poor sleeping posture can also hinder breathing and exacerbate snoring and sleep disorders.
  • Allergy flare ups - The build-up of dust and dust mites in bedding can cause sneezing, itching, and inflammation. 
Not only is new and good quality bedding more comfortable, clean, allergen-free, and supportive, but it also works wonders for sleep quality. Restorative sleep is vitally important to mental and physical health, with research showing its critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions. 

Plump hotel pillows

How long do pillows and bedding last? 

Most experts suggest that pillows should be replaced every one to two years, while for duvets this is recommended every two to five years. 

But how often do hotels replace pillows and bedding? Well, it depends. While the expert guidelines are a good starting point, hotels should also consider the type of pillow or duvet they’re using, as quality and durability is often dictated by the cover and filling materials. However, other factors come into play, such as how often the bedding is used, and how well it’s washed and maintained.

How to tell if it’s time to update your pillows and bedding

The following signs might suggest it’s time to replace your pillows and bedding: 

  • If the filling feels lumpy or uneven 
  • If there are holes or tears in the material, or the filling is poking through the cover 
  • Noticeable yellowing 
  • Complaints of a poor night’s sleep or back and neck pains
  • Sneezing and itching due to build-up of dust

With your pillows, you could also try the following quick tests: 

  1. Fold your pillow - If it doesn’t start to spring back immediately, this suggests it’s possibly nearing its end of life.  However, this is not such a good test of memory foam pillows, which are designed to mould to pressure and retain their shape for longer. 
  2. With the palm of your hand supporting the middle of the pillow, hold it out in front of you - If it sags over either side of your hand, it’s likely not providing the support it should and it may be time to replace.

Top tips to make your pillows and bedding last longer

You can prolong the life of your hotel bedding products by: 

  1. Investing in quality - Higher quality duvets and pillows last longer and won’t have to be replaced as often. Natural materials are usually better at maintaining their quality and feel overtime than synthetic alternatives. However, there are lots of alternative materials and technologies on the market to provide long-lasting solutions at a lower price point, such as hollowfibre.  
  2. Protection - Investing in a good quality pillow protector and duvet protector is crucial for bedding hygiene - especially in a hotel - and helps to prevent stains and odour.
  3. Cleaning considerations - With regular washing, pillows and duvets can become misshapen and their filling can begin to clump. To tackle individual stains or spills, it’s usually best to spot clean items. While the washing machine is usually more effective for a thorough, full clean, always check the manufacturer’s care instructions for guidance. 

Once you’ve washed your pillows, you may be able to tumble dry them on a low heat - again, check the label! However, synthetic pillows are often better line dried if possible to preserve their quality and prolong their lifespan. 

Making more sustainable choices

Investing in higher quality and longer-lasting bedding products is more cost-effective in the long-term, but it’s also better for the environment. To minimise the carbon footprint of your bedding provision, you could also consider: 

Sustainable product options

Opting for products that are made with recycled materials and recyclable at end of life is a great way to minimise your impact on the environment. At Star Linen, we prioritise responsible buying and continually source new sustainable items from carefully selected suppliers. For example, our Ashton pillows, duvets and eco-blankets are made of plastic bottles, but don’t compromise on quality or comfort.

Eco-friendly disposal methods

Around 61,900 tonnes of duvets and pillows enter the waste system in the UK each year.  

However, there are plenty of charities and organisations that will recycle your textiles at their end of life.

TFR Group directs 100% of the pillows and duvets it processes from landfill, and works to recycle and repurpose them. We partnered with them to help one of our national hotel groups to recycle their old pillows and duvets, and replace them with our Ashton eco-range.

Choosing the best pillows and  bedding for your hotel

Choosing the right products for your business is a careful balance of quality, cost and guest satisfaction. While you’ll naturally want to provide the best quality possible for your budget, this needs to be considered with your market positioning. If you’re a luxury, five-star hotel, guests might expect more natural, high-end bedding materials, such as cotton-covered feather pillows and duvets. 

Yet, if you’re a budget model, your guests won’t be expecting an all-singing, all-dancing pillow menu! There are lots of affordable, high quality options, like our Hilltop collection, that are long lasting and great value for money.

Learn more about our hotel pillows, hotel duvets and hotel bedding collections on our website or online brochure. Or, for help finding the right bedding for your budget and requirements, get in touch - our expert team is always happy to help.