The knowledge of why new hotel linens should be washed before use is quite similar to that of clothing.

Firstly, it’s essential to understand that the fabrics used in bed linens or clothing undergo processes such as boiling, rinsing, and dyeing. Each of these processes inevitably involves the use of chemicals. So, when hotels receive new linens, it’s crucial to wash them before putting them into use!

Today, the Ulencn website will provide some insights to hotel professionals regarding this practice.

1. High pH Levels Can Irritate the Skin

pH, or acidity-alkalinity, is a measure of the skin’s surface or metabolic products. Generally, the pH level of human skin ranges from about 5.0 to 7.0. If the pH of the fabrics used in clothing or bed linens you purchase differs significantly from the pH of your skin, it can irritate your skin and cause itching.

To ensure health and safety, it’s advisable to wash new linens before use. Washing helps neutralize the pH levels, effectively preventing such skin irritations. Of course, when purchasing products, it’s also wise to buy high-quality items for added safety.

2. Clean and Comfortable Linens Enhance the Guest Experience

New bed linens arrive from the factory with a layer of industrial sizing and some cotton fibers on the surface. These need to be washed off before use. Towels are typically delivered in compressed packaging, and washing them fluffs up the pile, removes lint, and enhances comfort. Before washing, hotel bed linens may have lint and dust on them.

Moreover, all-cotton products tend to shrink after washing, which makes pillowcases look more aesthetically pleasing when you put them on after laundering!

3. Pre-Washing New Linens Prevents Color Bleeding

Many hoteliers have reported issues with dark-colored linens, especially red and blue bed runners, bleeding excessively. In some cases, white linens may also get stained. This problem usually arises from skipping the pre-washing step.

Dyeing fabrics often leaves surface dye that, if not rinsed out before use, can easily lead to color bleeding. We’ve conducted tests on this matter, and the difference in colorfastness between fabrics that are pre-washed and those that aren’t can be up to 2 levels on the colorfastness scale. This difference is significant in terms of colorfastness assessment.

Specific Considerations for Pre-Washing New Linens:

1. Pre-wash new linens before use. For pure white cotton linens, maintain a water temperature below 50 degrees Celsius to avoid wrinkles.
2. For pure white linens with colored stripes, use a water temperature below 37 degrees Celsius to avoid staining that affects whiteness.
3. New linens may have slight floating fibers on the surface during the first wash. This is normal, and with subsequent washes, these fibers will naturally fall off.
4. To maintain the whiteness of linens, do not mix new linens with old ones when washing.