10 Gross Things Hotels Do To Save Money

Hotels often do some gross things to save money. They reuse sheets and pillows, do not wash the bedspread and throw pillows, and never clean the light switches. Whether your trip is for business or pleasure, hotels are always fun and luxurious. The mint chocolate on the pillow, the clean white sheets, and the tiny shampoo bottles are just a few of the perks. How clean are those sheets exactly? 

Everything is not quite as it looks in a hotel room. Hotels are essentially a money-making business. So, to make a profit, they often cut corners – maybe a bit too much. Here are a few mind-blowing, gross things hotels do to save money.

Reuse The Sheets 

Hotels don’t always change the sheets when there are no stains. Obviously, when there are stains, they use a different sheet for the bed. Otherwise, many times they just reuse the old sheet. That old sheet is full of body fluids, hair, and germs. There could be so much invisible stuff on the sheets of your next hotel room. Next time you are about to go and relax on the seemingly clean bed, do ask for a change of sheets. Risking it does not seem worth it. 

Use Colorful Carpets To Hide Stains

Colorful carpets in hotel rooms do look aesthetic and bring the look together, but what else do they do? They hide the nasty stains you don’t want to know about. They easily hide stains, and the hotel management does not have to spend any money on cleaning them as the stains are hardly visible, but they are still there. 

Skimp On Washing The Utensils 

After reading this, you will think twice about eating delicious hotel food. The glass and plates in which the food is served to you are not disinfected properly. The glasses are usually just rinsed with water or simply wiped with a washcloth. There is no vouching for how clean that cloth is. Many other utensils may be just rinsed unless they are really dirty. This cuts back not only the cost of soap but also the cleaning time. They also don’t clean their coffee pots. It was found by one ABC News expose that the coffee pots are not cleaned with soap or other cleaners. 

Don’t Change Mattresses Often

Yes, mattresses are expensive and not easy to change, but even they have a limited life span. They need to be changed every three to five years, as high-end hotels do. The other hotels change them every ten years or so, choosing to hide the stains and tears. ‘Bed-bugs’ is not just a cute saying to rhyme with the ‘good night’ adieu; they are a massive risk to our health.

Neglect The Pillowcases 

Just as a seemingly clean sheet is reused, so is a pillowcase. Hotel rooms are adorned with pillows. Most pillows go unused. The used ones are fluffed properly and reused, but then these pillows are crawling with all sorts of things invisible to the naked eye. In the long run, it saves the hotel a lot of money. 

Never Clean Light Switches

The light switches in hotel rooms are never cleaned by housekeeping as they don’t really have enough time. The switch is used several times throughout the day and by several people. The switch has been touched by every guest who has stayed in that particular room. This screams one thing: bacteria! Can you think of other essential items that would get ignored and never get cleaned in a hotel room? 

Don’t Change The Bedspread 

That warm and comfortable bedspread in your hotel room is hardly ever cleaned. According to TravelTruth.com, hotels usually clean bedspreads every four years. The more colorful they are, the worse it is, as the color helps hide all kinds of stains. The bedspread is used by one guest and then the other without even being cleaned. 

Don’t Clean Throw Pillows

What do you do with a throw pillow as soon as you go to your hotel room? Throw it on the gross carpet. It eventually does get back on the bed; either you put it back or housekeeping does. Just imagine all the germs and bacteria being transferred. Also, they hardly ever wash the throw pillows. 

Don’t Always Change The Towels

Hotels often don’t change towels. By not changing towels, they avoid washing them. This reduces the cost of water, detergent, labor, sewer, and energy. This cut-back is actually beneficial for the environment as laundry is the cause of a hotel’s 16% water usage. 

Skip Cleaning Days Completely

Last but not least, many hotels skip cleaning day as a whole and are even upfront about it. They either offer their guests credit for not having a cleaning day or charge extra for daily cleaning. This is a major saving for the hotel. 

Think twice next time you decide to book that last-minute, cheap hotel. It may not be the best idea. You can also ask for fresh sheets and towels to ensure that yours are clean. Keep this list in mind the next time you’re staying at a hotel so you know what to watch out for.