As we come out of this pandemic, though some of us are ready to flit about the world like characters from an overwrought Shakespeare play, others are worried about health and safety.
Hygiene is a big issue on a lot of people’s minds.
Many travellers are thinking harder than ever about the countries they visit, and the accommodation they stay in, as they seek to avoid contracting COVID-19 (or being disrupted by policies designed to combat it).
With this in mind, now is as good a time as ever to drag the following ‘subtle sign’ that your hotel bed sheets might not have been properly cleaned back to the top of your newsfeed (as it was for us this morning).
The sign? A lack of creases in your sheets. That’s right: even though you might think creases in your sheets signal a lack of professionalism (or a lack of care about presentation), they are actually a good sign (especially in budget hotels or accommodation), because they suggest your sheets have come straight (or, folded) out of the linen cupboard.
That’s as opposed to being left on the bed from the previous guest. As a flight attendant with 19 years’ experience once told Business Insider, “Don’t sleep on hotel sheets that don’t have creases from being folded; someone slept on them already.”
A motel cleaner named Dan allegedly confirmed this to The Sun. He said: “I could have 20 beds to change in a day – it’s back-breaking work.”
“So, if I see a bed that’s been used but it’s not been messed completely, I’ll just pull the sheets really tight and hope no one notices. It’s worked for me so far.”
Other frequent travellers say peeking inside the Kettle is another way to tell if your hotel has high standards of cleanliness (or not).
Want to know another sneaky hotel room travel hack? Watch the following video by TikTok user @skyqueen_ and enlighten yourself.