“MATERIAL PLANNING: BEDDING, LINENS, AND UNIFORMS”

M.C.M. MORALES

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Generate purchase specifications for bedding, including sheets, pillows, mattress pads, blankets and bedspreads.

Develop purchase criteria for table linens, including proper size, fabric content, and method of construction.

Generate standards of selection for employee uniforms.

Generate criteria for bath linens for different classes of hotels.

“BEDDING “ Encompasses all materials used in the

making of a bed.

This includes sheets, pillowcases, blankets, pillows, bedspreads, dust ruffles, comforters and matters covers.

BEDDINGS

“SHEETS AND PILLOWCASES” For many years, people believed that a

quality hotel should change guest linens daily.

Today, environmentally responsible hotels leave that choice up to the guest.

These linen reuse program can save water, and energy and may even also prevent additional laundry chemical into the enviroment.

FABRIC MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

Majority of hotels use a cotton/ polyester (Dacron) blend.

Cotton/ polyester blends are more durable than straight cotton. After 100 launderings, cotton loses 35 to 40

percent of its tensile strength.

FABRIC MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

Blends are more economical to launder. They will retain 15 to 50 percent less water than

a full cotton sheet

Cotton fibers in a sheet can be either combed or carded before spinning

SIZE

Two sheets measurements: Torn sheet- the size of the sheet before

hemming. Finished sheets- has a top and bottom hem

o Fitted Sheets are never used in commercial applications because they tear at their corners

o Standard Sheets are more flexible and larger standard sheets can be substituted for smaller sheets

BED SHEETS

BLANKETS

It is an insulator ; it keeps body heat in and cold air out.The best blankets light in weight for

comfort, but at the same time it should be a highly effective thermal insulator.

FABRIC MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

Blankets have extremely high heat retention.

Synthetic such as polyester, acrylics and nylon.

Woven blankets are normally expensive

BLANKET

BEDSPREADS, COMFORTERS & DUST RUFFLES

The bed is the focal point in most guestrooms. Should complement the colors and other design

elements in the room.

There are two main styles of bedspreads:• Tailored spreads- fit the corners of the

mattress snugly• Throw spreads- bulge at the corners at the foot

of the bed

Shams- are pillow covers that match the fabric used in the bedspread.

BEDSPREADS, COMFORTERS & DUST RUFFLES

DUST RUFFLES

FABRIC MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

Most hotels would prefer to have a washable bedspread fabric.

Dust ruffles are often cotton/ polyester blend products.

SIZE

Coverlets are easier to handle and they fit better into the washer and dryer.

Duvet Covers are now preferred over any other bed covering in the better hotels.

PILLOWS

Some prefer soft pillows, and others prefer hard pillows.

One camp holds that to be truly comfortable a pillow must be filled with goose down, whereas others contend that polyester will do just as well.

PILLOWS

PILLOWS

Natural fills Standard by which all other fills are measured is

down --- specifically goose down from the European variety of goose.

Using goose down alone to fill a pillow is very expensive, so the larger down feathers from ducks are blended together with the goose down.

Down feathers are found only in the most upscale hotels.

MATTRESS COVERS

Serves two purposes: They provide a padded layer between the guest

and the mattress, making for a more restful sleeps.

They protect the mattress from stains resulting from spills and from incontinent or sick guest.

* Mattress should be changed whenever the guests checks out.

QUILTED PADS

All cotton quilted pads are very expensive

One problem associated with quilted pads is the tendency of the diagonal threads to break after a few washings.

All cotton pads tend to shrink 15 to 20 percent.

FELT PADS

Preferred pads for hotels is the 100 percent polyester.

The pad does not pucker or become lumpy.

Also far less expensive and moisture proofed.

VINYL COVERS

Are more appropriate for hospital applications.

The new generation of vinyl covers can even be washed like cloth and can be sterilized.

BATH AND TABLE LINENS

The quality of a hotel’s bath and table linens is a remarkably accurate indicator of the hotel’s class and price level.

The thicker the towels, the more expensive the accommodations.

FABRIC MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

Standard hotel bath linen is a terry cloth towel that is a blend of cotton/ polyester fibers.

Terry cloth towels are woven on a loom. Ground warp- the fibers running lengthwise

in the towelUsually a blend of two parts polyester and one part

cotton.

Pile Warp- is the yarn running lengthwise in the towel that makes the terry loops on both sides of the towels' surface.

SIZE

The standard size for a good quality towel is 25”x50”.

An average size for the face towel is 16”x27”.

Bath Mat will measure 22”x34”

Towels and washcloths can be found in larger or smaller sizes than the above recommendations