Tourists leaving the hotel should never make their bed, as this complicates the work of the staff and the process of cleaning the rooms. A former maid warned about this from the pages of the British publication The Sun.
Cleaning a made bed is not only more time-consuming for staff but can also lead to confusion as to whether it has been used by tourists during their stay in the room. According to a former maid who worked at one of the resorts in Australia and shared her experience: “If we think that you have not used the bed at all, we may not change the sheets for the next guests.”
Therefore, when it comes time to clean, it’s best to make the bed “look like it’s been slept in.” It is recommended to shake the bed, first of all, before departure, since in most hotels the bed linen is rarely changed every day, only if the guest stays for several days.
According to Flavio Serreti, manager of Soprano Villas and Rome Lofts, the meticulously made moving bed makes it difficult for the cleaning staff: “On busy days, the staff just knocks over the pillows, changing the bed linen every three or four days.” His advice is for guests who want to help to crumple used towels and sheets to make it easier for the staff to clean them up.
This unusual recommendation became a topic of discussion on the Reddit forum among people who are used to staying in hotels. One user shared his experience: “Every time I stay in a hotel, I always make the beds and pile the sheets and dirty towels in the bathroom.” Some forum participants said that their parents taught them this when they were children: “When we were growing up in hotel rooms (which was often), my dad would put all the bedding together with the dirty ones, and I never understood why until I became a cleaner.”.
The reaction of the former cleaning workers also confirmed the correctness of removing the bed linen from the bed. They noted that maids like it when guests help clean rooms because it saves time and effort. Also, they advise leaving crumpled sheets and towels at waist level, not on the floor, because maids often try to grab everything at once to speed up the process and it’s less dangerous for their backs.
As a result, we note that it is convenient for the cleaners if tourists do not create confusion with the linen and make the process of cleaning the room easier for them. Even a little help can go a long way for the staff who are committed to ensuring travelers have a pleasant stay at the hotel.