Sheet Re-use Program

Green Ideas for Environmentally Friendly Hotels

A sheet re-use program can be approached from a few directions.

• you can let guests tell you they don't want their sheets changed
• you can let your guests tell you when they want sheets changed
• you can tell guests when you are changing sheets

The most common way is for guests to put a tent card on their bed when they don't want their sheets changed. The problem most typically associated with that is housekeeping too often doesn't respect the guests' wishes and changes the sheets anyway. It's not uncommon to hear comments about how useless it is to ask for sheets to not be changed because the request is ignored. What a way to undermine your environmental message!

The La Fonda Hotel, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, takes the approach that they change their sheets after three days, unless a guest requests it more often. The hotel has door hangars that the guest hangs on the outside of their door requesting a sheet change. Brilliant! It makes it easy for housekeeping to assess the number of beds they need to change that day before even entering a room. That's efficient. This isn't as common an approach, but seems logical.

Another approach is to just have a policy for the frequency you change sheets. There will be guests who are more assertive about what they want and will speak up when they want their sheets changed, but most will just go along with your plans.

What is your sheet re-use program like? Remember, not washing and drying sheets daily saves water, electricity, soap, and labor, and it reduces the wear and tear on sheets so that you don't have to replace them as frequently. And are your staff trained to honor your environmental commitment?