Let’s face it—hotel rooms are pretty germy places. You should avoid the hotel hair dryer at all costs, for starters, and don’t even get us started on the kettle that brews your morning coffee. But when it comes to the most germ-ridden spots in your hotel room, there’s one place you probably don’t need to be too worried about: your bedsheets.
Why? It’s all thanks to the sheets’ bright, white hue.
At first glance, using all-white bedding in a hotel might seem a bit absurd; white fabric is the easiest to stain, after all. But that’s also exactly why it makes sense. White sheets assure guests that the bed is clean and fresh. And because they look and feel so clean, they also give the impression of luxury—even if the hotel itself is rather inexpensive.
“Visually, the idea of the white bed is important,” Erin Hoover, vice president of design for Westin and Sheraton hotels, told HuffPost. “Something about an all-white bed connotes luxury and a good night’s sleep.”
Westin hotels were the first popularize the white hotel linens back in the 1990s. The all-white beds create a “halo effect,” Hoover said, which made the rooms look recently remodeled.
And if you haven’t noticed, the all-white color theme often applies to towels and bathrobes, as well. This has a practical purpose: bed linens, towels, and any other dirty laundry can be washed together without any colors bleeding.
Plus, if all else fails, white sheets are just one easy bleach bath away.
