Changing the Bedding for Visitors

[ifelttheearth]

If you have visitors to stop in your spare room, do you strip the bedding as soon as they leave and put clean sheets on? Or do you wait until new visitors are coming before you change the bed so they have fresh sheets put on just as they arrive?

My husband and I disagree (it can also sometimes depend on how busy we are or if we are having very regular visitors)!

As a host I would strip the bed and remake it with clean sheets. As a guest I would like fresh aired sheets still warm from the airing cupboard just before I arrive. I guess I won't be invited to stay then...

I haven't changed the sheets yet after my sister stayed at Christmas. I will do it just before the next guest comes.

That's mainly because my cats like to sleep on that bed and changing them immediately before any guests come means there won't be a pile of cat hair on the sheets.

Strip the bedding when they leave.
Leave mattress to air until l have new visitors
( Well l don't do it.. my home help does.. she's my cleaner and carer all in one) a Godsend... l pay her very generously and don't know what I'd do without her). But l wouldn't want the spare beds with old guests sheets etc on until l have new guests.. could be months.

Depends on said visitors, if dsd and dp have stayed over and the sheets were fresh I wouldn't strip because the probability is they will be the next person to stay in that room, ditto my dd though that room we do use for others occasionally

Strip the bed then cover the mattress and pillow with a sheet tucked in to prevent dust. Fresh bedding on just before guests arrive.

I just change the sheets before someone stays .

Strip straight away, then leave unmade until the next guests are about to arrive.
I get you though @mrsmalaprop . I once left my pyjamas at my friend’s house on her guest bed, because her cat was sleeping on them and I couldn’t bear to disturb him!

I wouldn't strip it and leave it unmade as sometimes it can be a while without visitors and I don't want to look at it like that!

When to change my bed is not really a big deal in the scheme of things but was just interested in what others do.

I suppose the benefit of doing it as visitors leave is that you don't have to rush around before the next visitor comes, and it's always "ready to go" in the event of an unplanned guest.

The best guests strip the bed before they go (lol). I always strip mine straight away so it’s done. Don’t like the dirty linen hanging around waiting for me to wash it!! I quite often have my adult kids or friends staying at fairly short notice, so it saves any feeling of rushing about.

I change them before a new guest arrives.

But that's mainly because the most usual visitors are my adult daughter and her partner. They only stay one or two nights at a time and I can't be bothered to change sheets in between every visit (obviously unless someone else comes in between)!

I have guests that infrequently that I would change the bed when one set leaves and change it again before the new set arrives.

Like a PP, I leave it on until just before the next guest, as one of my cats is v fond of the guest bed, and I'd rather they got cat hair on dirty bedding than clean (or on a stripped bed)!

Ugh no I wouldn't leave it there to potentially fester for weeks/months/however long once it's been slept in! Stripped and cleaned and put back on the bed to keep it looking nice, then changed for a fresh set when visitors are next due.

I do both! I have bedding on the spare bed all the time, which has a pretty pattern but is quite scratchy for sleeping (the cat is happy to sleep on it though!). I always use different sheets for guests.

Before guests arrive remove existing decorative bedding set. Make the bed with fresh guests sheets. After they leave, strip the bed, remake with the bedding that was previously removed - sometimes I have washed it in between, but not always.

I never host visitors. There's a lovely little hotel down the road for them with clean sheets every day if they want! I would of course put someone up in an emergency, so therefore the spare bed would be made up on the day they arrive and probably wouldn't be changed for a long time after they leave, max 2 days stay..... 😊

I usually leave it tbh until the next guest is confirmed. We don’t have regular guests so don’t want them to have sheets that have been getting dusty for weeks.

Editing to qualify- most guests on stay one or 2 nights so bedding not filthy. If someone had stayed for a week or so I’d get them washed.

The only 'spare bed' in our house is that of our dc at University, so I leave it, as they are likely to be the next person sleeping there, but then, if I have a rare visitor, I would put clean bedding on for them.

I leave it because my eldest is the one who stays over usually and i change the bed once she's slept in it for 7 sleeps.

If anyone else is coming to stay in the middle of eldest's 7 sleeps thing i'll change the bed the day before they arrive.

I leave the sheets on, and put freshly washed and dried ones on before my next invited guest.

There's a reason for this. I always want my guests to have lovely, fresh, clean bedding. However I have a couple of Uni age children and bringing a drunk friend home to crash is not an uncommon occurrence. I'm not repeatedly changing sheets for procession of worse for wear 19-21 year olds, so if they can just sleep in whatever bedding is already on the bed. It's kinda a bit gross, but they don't seem to care!

If anyone stays over it's usually only for a night or two, and my friends/relatives aren't minging. I leave the bedding on and then wash it fresh before the next guest.

Stripped, washed and back on straight away as DP uses our spare double room sometimes if he's out late and likely to snore !
Washed again so fresh if we are having guests, and have a spare set of bedding if anyone turns up at short notice.

It's not about being minging...none of my guests are minging either (as far as I know). But I'd rather not have possible body fluids, sweat, saliva, natural oils/hair products or other such things on the bedding for extended periods.

I've got two matching sets of guest bedding which coordinate with a bedcover/decorative cushions. I just alternate between the two and that way the bedding is always fresh and clean.

Well, I am with you OP. I don’t like the idea of having a bed with no bedding on it making the room look ugly.

So I leave the old bedding on until I am ready to change it. Sometimes that is just whenever I have space in a wash. Sometimes it’s because a new guest is imminent. Plus, like others, we often have the same guest a few visits in a row.

I’d be really annoyed if my guests stripped it themselves!

I strip the bed and then cover the bed with a large throw. The naked pillows and duvet go in the spares cupboard until they're needed again. I have a couple of different weight spare duvets and a few pillows so it doesn't always get made up the same depending on number of guests or season.

I always strip the bed in the spare room straight away once guests have left, and wash the sheets. Once they're dry, I keep them in the airing cupboard until the next guests are due. In the mean time, I cover the bed with an old candlewick counterpane.