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Why You Shouldn’t Fold the Pillow before Checking out of a Hotel Room? The Surprising Answer

Leaving a hotel room often involves folding the pillows, a seemingly thoughtful gesture. However, it actually creates more work for hotel staff.

Administrator

20 February, 2024

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Before leaving the hotel, many people have the habit of tidying up and arranging the pillows and bed sheets neatly. They do this because they think that this small action will help the hotel housekeeping staff save time and effort in cleaning the room. However, in reality, this sometimes makes the staff here spend more time and effort than expected.

Usually, when guests leave the hotel, the housekeeping staff will replace the used sheets and pillows with new ones so that the next guests can use them with peace of mind. Therefore, rearranging the pillows neatly or making the bed sheets flat and smooth can make them waste more time pulling and replacing them.

In addition, for hotel rooms with more than 2 beds, if you fold the pillows and bed sheets too neatly and flat, the staff will think that this bed has not been used and does not need to be replaced with new pillows. Your kindness can make the next guest have to use dirty sheets and pillows again. Just like towels, you should place pillows and bed sheets in visible and easily collectible positions for cleaning and replacement.

Instead, if you want to help the housekeeping staff, you can throw trash in the designated place, turn off unnecessary electrical appliances, and leave dirty bed sheets, pillows, and blankets in a visible and separate corner.

Things to do before leaving the hotel

Gather trash in the room

Putting “so-called trash” into the trash bin will help the housekeeping staff “reduce a lot of work.” In case there is too much trash in the room, you should concentrate them in one corner or put them in a tied plastic bag. Gathering trash in the room makes the room more airy, cleaner, and helps you easily find forgotten items.

Place items in their proper positions

During your stay in the room, if you use items such as air conditioner remote control, cups of water, electric kettle, TV remote control, you can rearrange them in their proper positions. This small action can save a few minutes for the housekeeping staff when they clean the room.

Turn off the air conditioner, TV, and other electrical appliances

Not only does it waste electricity, but also leaving electronic devices such as TV, air conditioner, etc. turned on can make the housekeeping staff unsure if the guest has checked out or not. Therefore, they will spend extra time calling the front desk to confirm.

Separate unused items

For items that are not used, especially towels, you should not mix clean towels with used ones. If you don’t use all the provided towels, you should not take all of them out or fold the used towels too neatly because it can make the staff misunderstand that no one has touched them yet.

Do not use all the beds if not necessary

If the room has more beds than needed, you should keep these beds intact to help the housekeeping staff reduce their workload and save on laundry, water, and electricity expenses.

Frequently asked questions

Folding your pillow before checking out of a hotel room can be a potential health hazard. This is because it may trap unwanted particles and fluids, such as saliva, sweat, and skin cells, which can then become a breeding ground for bacteria and dust mites. This can cause respiratory issues and skin problems for future guests.

In addition to avoiding folding your pillow, there are other measures one can take to ensure hotel room hygiene. These include: washing your hands frequently, avoiding walking barefoot, disinfecting high-touch surfaces, and being mindful of bedbugs.

To protect yourself from bedbugs, inspect the room carefully upon arrival. Check the mattress seams, headboard, and furniture for any signs of bedbugs or their droppings. Keep your luggage elevated and away from the bed, and when you return home, wash all your clothes, even those you haven’t worn, to eliminate any potential bedbugs.