Does Thread Count Matter? Picking the Right Hotel Linens
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You might assume that the strongest and best-quality fabrics have the highest thread count. Well, consider yourself warned: don’t fall for the thread count scheme! Don’t get sucked in by any so-called fancy feature! Focus on quality, not quantity.
We all know the woes of a stressful shopping trip. You know the one we’re talking about – you came in looking for one thing but there’s a massive selection to pick apart. Each item lists different benefits, varying prices and looks exactly the same as the item that’s $20 less!
Your automatic reaction is probably to purchase either the most expensive item or the item with the largest list of benefits, assuming that this means higher quality.
When managing a hotel, you can’t take chances on what materials to purchase. If you end up with the wrong linen, guests may notice your lack of attention to detail. Or your bedding won’t last very long, making you fork over cash just to go through this whole process again.
There are so many things you should watch out for that we could tackle, but today we are going to focus on thread count.
Here are the top three things you should be looking for when selecting linens for your hotel.
One of the reasons you shouldn’t glorify thread count is because thread counts can vary enormously based on the ply of the fabric. Linens using single-ply fabric opposed to linens using double-ply fabric can have the same exact thread count. But this thread count can mean totally different things about each of these linens! Single-ply is made up of one single thread whereas double-ply is two threads woven together.
A rule of thumb to follow is to purchase single-ply when looking for more delicate linens, and double-ply when looking for something thicker. The thread count is not as important as the actual ply used.
Many fabrics and linens are “finished” with chemicals to prevent them from wrinkling and shrinking over time. At first glance, this may seem like a necessary feature. However, chances are hotel guests will not appreciate this chemical component of their bedsheets. Linens with this finish may be uncomfortable for guests with allergies and chemical sensitivities.
Instead, choose linens that use organic cotton. By selecting organic fabrics, you are avoiding any risks to guests from herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers.
While understanding ply is essential to navigating the proper thickness of linens, you have to understand weave to find comfortable linens. Weave factors into both longevity of the fabric as well as guest satisfaction.
The two best choices for weave are percale and sateen. For a lightweight fabric, choose percale. Whereas, you should choose sateen if you are looking for something a bit softer and warmer.
Hire a Hotel Linen Service
While there are other factors that affect linen quality, these three points are the most important.
But why risk the hassle? Or worse, risk choosing the wrong linens? With a good hotel linen service, you won’t have to worry. Call Linen Finder today at 888-770-2489 to speak to a representative near you.“