To think holiday lets should have washable pillows/pillow protectors?

[LakieLady]

We're staying in a cottage for a few days, which is lovely, and it was spotlessly clean when we arrived. The owners told us that they've had to remove a lot of the homely touches, eg cushions, because of Covid.

I was very surprised when I got into bed and found that the beds have feather or feather and down pillows on, and no pillow protectors. It's clear that the pillows aren't new, too, although they're not visibly stained or anything.

I'm a long way (a very long way!) from being a hygiene freak, but I'm really rather uncomfortable with sleeping all night on a pillow that others have slept on, and therefore breathed into. Surely they should have at least put pillow protectors on?

I would have gone and bought pillows, if it hadn't been 15 miles to the nearest town and 11pm at night when I realised.

If I had a holiday let, I think I might have been inclined to buy cheap pillows and put new ones on each for each lot of guests. I know it's not very green, but I'd rather that than have guests possibly risking contracting Covid. And you can get a pair of pillows for around a tenner in Sainsburys, which wouldn't make a massive dent in the £465 they're getting off us for the week.

Pillow protectors are probably the answer, as you say it’s not very environmentally friendly to buy new pillows every time.
I have an air bnb and let it out for 1 night if people want, and the majority of my bookings are just that. If I was to buy new pillows every time, even if I limited to 1 pillow each (I have 2 per person as at the start people requested more) I would spend half the money I make on pillows alone, if I did 2 per person still it would wipe all the money I make on single night bookings.
Yes I could put a minimum night stay booking, but that then might put people off booking, some guests have said they chose me because I offered just one night.

How do you know they aren't rotating sets of pillows? It would be ridiculous to use new for every reservation, hugely wasteful. If you are so bothered you could have taken your own / put a towel over them.

I always bring my own pillow - largely because it’s orthopaedic but also because of this. Pillow protectors are definitely the way forward!

yanbu
pillows in holiday lets need to have protectors or need to be washed at each changeover.

I'm very allergic so always check what kind of bedding is provided.
there is a reason big hotel chains only use hollow fibre washable pillows.

Buy new pillows for every guest? That would be a disgusting amount of unnecessary waste!

Pillow protectors would be sensible but not just for Covid, but really you’re staying in a house that other people have just lived in so you’re surrounded by things they touched and breathed on, no matter how clean it looks! If you’re that worried about it then possibly it was a bad idea to leave your own home.

Maybe pillows are rotated/washed in between guests. Feather/down pillows - and I dare say others - can easily be washed and tumble dried - I do ours regularly, not because of Covid but because of dust mites. 🤮

The idea of new ones each time is mad and appallingly wasteful.

All pillows, both at home and in hotels etc, should have pillow protectors on them! Eww, all that dribble and dead skin/hair flakes being absorbed into the pillow...

Your idea of new pillows each time is a bit of a mad alternative, though.

Replacing pillows for every new stay is bonkers!

Just take your own if you are concerned. We did recently and I have friends who said they had done the same.

Yes, it's absolutely necessary to use pillow protectors which are washed more often and also wash the pillows at least 3-4 times a year (ikea ones are easy to wash even in a normal washer). I have a small company with holiday lets and we send them out regularly to the laundry place. I also have the same ikea ones at home and wash them at least 2-3 times a year - you can really see when they need to be washed. I'm also not a clean freak, but it's really necessary.

Yeah, pillow protectors should be standard.
At home, I don't have protectors for each and every pillow in ours and the kids rooms so I double pillowcase here and there. That should be an absolute minimum.

New pillows is OTT though.

Our holiday lets have pillow and mattress protectors that are washed every week and the pillows and duvets are swapped for fresh ones.

This is why the environment is fucked.
Pillow protectors are the way forward.

I have pillow/mattress/duvet protectors on in my own bed, wouldn’t be sleeping in a holiday home that didn’t, it’s a bit rank

@juliastone which pillows do you get from Ikea? I find that machine washing pillows often makes them lumpy so I’d love to know