AIBU - PIL smelly sheets

[MRex]

We stay sometimes in PIL holiday flat and are there now.

Before DS I'd change the sheets and then change again to clean ones or put back on the PIL used sheets, depending on what MIL asked for. Last year MIL said she'd put on clean sheets and we came with baby DS, who had norovirus from the first evening so the sheets were all vomited on and had to be changed several times. At this point I discovered that MIL was double-stacking sheets and pillow cases; weird but anyway. The washing machine broke, so my mum did washing for us throughout the week including sheets a few times.

We've only just come back; again MIL said she's put clean sheets on and to then just leave the beds. The bed started to stink during the night, it smells of sweaty FIL, who's lovely but doesn't wash enough. I'm as certain as can be that she's put clean sheets on top of his stinky sweaty sheets, so now they're all smelly. DS's dear little head stinks like FIL's 3-day unwashed armpit. DH claimed he can't smell anything, I can't even sleep in it.

So, I think I need to change the sheets and leave all 3 sets for MIL, I'll have to explain when we get home so she knows to bring more clean sheets when they come. I love her dearly and I know she'll feel embarrassed about me thinking they're dirty. She's been unwell recently, but I don't think that's related to her shortcut, I think she's just unaware of how much FIL smells or she'd surely make him shower more. If I don't tell her then she'll just do it again each time we come and we'll always be faced with stinky sheets as a "shortcut". But then DH doesn't even think it smells, so maybe I'm being over-sensitive and unreasonable?

Other options I've come up with

1. Get my mum to wash both sets of sheets, dry and return them; this isn't really feasible before Monday.
2. Live with it - but it's so grim, it smells awful.
3. Buy new sheets, then swap back for dirty ones and hide the clean ones in the suitcase PIL will be bringing back for us.
4. I've no idea if there's a launderette and we have no car.

Could you just tell MIL that you’ll sort your own sheets out in future, save her the hassle of making the bed left for you?

Wow. What a piece of work you are billie

@NoSauce - I will try to ask, though the plan she has is that she takes dirty sheets back to their house to wash so she just leaves clean sets on the beds. She has also always been very clear about not stripping the beds when we leave, I'm not sure why, maybe dust (I did it once when we had to go there unexpectedly) or maybe FIL just gets put in our dirty sheets. I try to do what I'm asked to because it's their flat. They see it as looking after us, we can only treat them at our house and they treat us at theirs. I'd love to buy them new towels for here and their house for example, but MIL cottoned on when I was trying to suss her out about colours and vetoed it as unnecessary.

The smell is probably sweat staining which will happen if you was your sheets in cold water. Sweat stains don’t appear until you’ve warmed up the fabric either by sleeping in the sheets or wearing a shirt. What looked and smelled clean starts to smell very bad.
Your MIL is probably using her old sheets in the flat. I’m sure she has washed them. But washing doesn’t get out sweat stains. Too, once they’re in no amount of washing in hot, bio detergent or even bleach will get them out. Especially if the sheets are a poly-cotton blend or synthetic.
Only solution is new sheets. So, I’d get new sheets and leave them at the flat & toss out the old ones.

The pillows and duvet may also be past their use by and in need of replacement. Pillows & duvets have a max life of three years, even if washed. Give them a critical look and sniff. If MIL has put their old pillows and duvet on, then yeah those should be bought new too.

You can tell MIL that because you use the flat regularly, you wanted to contribute by buying new bedding just for the flat.

OP, it sounds like you're on it. I would strip the beds and use a suitcase if you have one, to get everything to the launderette. Maybe have a coffee while you're waiting.

I am curious about one thing though: does fil sleep in more than one bed or are you all sleeping in one bed? I'm thinking that if the smell is in more than one bed, it might be due to something else?

I am curious about one thing though: does fil sleep in more than one bed or are you all sleeping in one bed? I'm thinking that if the smell is in more than one bed, it might be due to something else?
I was wondering that too.

We all sleep in one bed. MIL also has a lovely clean fragrant bed, but it's much too high for DS (and different size sheets). DH will sleep in it if DS is kicking too much, or last year when we were all unwell so I wasn't woken by him vomiting too. I might sleep in it one night if DS disrupts sleep too much so I need a break. At home DS is learning how to sleep alone and getting better at it, but it's nice to snuggle and there's more sleep generally if he's touching me.

Such hypocrisy from certain posters. After years on MN, the number of threads there've been on "how often do you change your sheets?" is phenomenal. And every time there's the same righteousness about "cleanliness"...
I think the OP is perfectly reasonable to want freshly washed sheets on the borrowed bed.

I don’t think anyone had disagreed with that issue shiveringtimber.

Nothing wrong with using clean sheet/pillowcase as mattress/pillow protector. They will last a few changes. Op is saying that the clean sheet has been put on top of a dirty used one. That's gross. Just tell her you will change the beds, or put your sheets on. She's trying to save work, do it for her. Good idea to have your own there.
If the flat is damp everything will smell.

Duvets and pillows can last more than 3 years, but synthetic are quite cheap.