Why is hotel linen always white?

If this is something you haven’t noticed before, you will now not be able to name a hotel you have stayed in that didn’t have white sheets, as well as be able to enter a room without taking note of the bright white hue of the linen.

“Why are they always white?” you may ask. There is one, very obvious reason.

While it might seem counterproductive to dress beds in the colour easiest to stain, that is exactly the point. White sheets assure guests that the bed they are about to spend their slumber is clean, fresh and untouched. Also, the aesthetic of a spotless sheet gives an impression of luxury, even if the accommodation is inexpensive, and connotes a good night’s sleep.

The Westin is credited with pioneering white linens for hotels in the 1990s with the launch of its now-famous ‘Heavenly Bed’. According to the brand’s vice president of design, the white bed created a “halo” effect and made guests think their room had been recently renovated.

Using white linen also improves the efficiency of the quality control of hotel sheets. Any imperfection, whether it be a stain, tear or pilling, can be easily recognised and quickly rectified by launders and housekeepers, meaning all linen that reaches the beds in the hotel rooms are of the highest standard.

So, next time you book yourself into a night away, take note of the crisp white linen adorning the bed. After all, nothing else is CLEAN…

At CLEAN we offer a three-range collection of ethically-sourced white linen to suit each of our customers’ requirements. Click here for information on CLEAN’s linen range or here to read our Hotel Linen Rental Product Buying Guide, this guide helps to explain the key buying considerations when considering which hotel linen is best for your hotel.

Operating in a post-COVID world

We understand that linen and workwear freshly laundered to the highest possible standard is more important now than ever before. That's why CLEAN fully supports the excellent work done by the Textile Services Association and UKHospitality to ensure that hospitality laundries are supplying hygienically clean hospitality textiles. To mitigate the risk posed by COVID-19 we are meeting and exceeding standards set out in the TSA Pledge to return hygienically confident products to our customers. Click here to find out more about how we are working safely and reducing risk of COVID-19.