Does anyone else travel with bed sheets

Are you sure you're not swapping the better sheets in the hotels for the walmart cheapies you're bringing with you?

Were I to be losing so much sleep obsessing over the sheets, I'd either not travel, or would use cheaper hotels. Here's an additional phobia for you: Did you ever notice that whereever you sit down, it feels like you're sitting on someone's UNDERWEAR?

Why not use a Winnebago where you can control your OWN high standards?

My wife never leaves home without her sheet and pillow.

Hole-y, frayed, stained, or thin! Hey, whether I was paying $50/nt or $500/nt. it would be unacceptable. You just call the housekeeping and have them change the sheets to ones that aren't "holey-y, frayed, stained, or thin"

I thought you were talking about whether the sheets were 200ct vs 300ct vs 400ct; actually whether they were soft enough,like Frette or Pratesi or Leron!

What kind of sheets do you bring? Why not just bring a silk sleeping sleeve and put your body (even head) into it - there's no weight to carry with silk, it actually fits into the corner of your suitcase.

Sandi, I tried the sleep sack thing but it got all twisted during the night (I turn a lot).

I use cotton percale sheets from Garnet Hill. I'm very happy with them. I considered getting Frette, but the Frette "hotel sheets" in the stores are much thinner and not nearly as nice as the Frette sheets the hotels use.

Btw, after I posted my initial message I went hunting on the 'net, and I found plenty of people who advise taking the bedspread off the bed when you first enter the room because spreads are washed so infrequently. One site said a hotel bedspread was tested because a crime had been committed in the room, and the tester found 30 different (genetically) semen stains.

fussy traveller, you must have really bad luck. I've slept in hotel beds (from 2-star to 4-star) for 7 out of the past 12 weeks, and never had a sheet with holes, at least not anywhere I noticed. I confess that I don't pull back the covers to look for stained sheets before I get into bed at night. However, if I were paying $300/night I'd raise holy h*ll if everything wasn't perfect!

I think you have a bit of a phobia. What do you do when you stay at a friend's house? Do you bring your own sheets then?

Bedspreads in 5* hotels are supposed to be cleaned (washed, though usually dry cleaned weekly) - still, why anyone would want that strange spread anywhere near their body is beyond me regardless the hotel.

It's the first thing I remove from the bed, folding back, rolling and placing in the closet or corner of room. Then I check out the sheets. As I said above, if anything is wrong with them I just have housekeeping correct and have yet had a problem with any hotel, let alone one that is charging $300+ /nt.

At the Peninsula Hotel in BKK which makes up a beautiful bed, it was missing the "top" sheet between where my body would be and the fully covered down duvet. To me that's a no-no, even though the duvet cover is replaced daily. A call to housekeeping corrected the matter before the phone hit the cradle - maid was there and stripped bed and remade with top sheet. The other bed in room had been made properly - it was a mistake only.

There is no excuse for frayed, hole-y, stained or worn sheets anywhere and you have cause to request a change - but you couldn't get me to bring my own sheets unless I was camping out in a tent!

Ask for what you want and leave the extra weight at home. You're paying so Speak up girl!

I am admittedly fussy, hence my forum name. I'm no Howard Hughes, but I do keep a very clean house and use nice sheets on the bed which I replace regularly, well before they are in the condition of sheets I've seen in most hotels. If I had a sheet that had a stain that couldn't be removed or a hole, it would get tossed out.

When I stay at the homes of friends and family I do not use my own sheets. It seems they are more considerate than the hotels, putting out nice linens for their guests. They're not doing it just for me .. I have only told my mother about my practice, and she knows I would never need to use my sheets at her house. She's an even better housekeeper than I am.

What can I say ? The thought of sleeping on sheets that aren't well cared for or that have been used hundreds of other people and which are washed en masse with the sheets of who knows how many other hotels is really unappealing to me, to the point where bringing my own sheets along is worth the effort. I'm not the backpacking type, so the extra weight isn't an issue.

I really didn't intend to start this thread seeking validation. I do what I do, and I'm cool with it. I'm just wondering if anyone else does this.

Ok, ok, fussy, but where do you draw the line? Hotel towels are also washed "en masse" with everyone else's. So are the linen napkins in a restaurant, which you put to your mouth.

I already answered the towels question in my opening post.

Why do I feel like I'm being attacked ? Only Jed's post was free of implications that I'm doing something wrong or that I've got some kind of psychological problem. What is it that bothers you all so much about what I do ?

For the record, I despise cloth napkins and I avoid them whenever possible, not for the same reason I dislike hotel sheets, but because I hate wiping food on cloth. (Am I going to be challenged on this now ?)

Sorry, fussy, I didn't mean to sound attacking. The fact that you travel with your own sheets doesn't bother me, but it does surprise me. I'm just trying to understand it. I'm sure there are others who do this, but I do think it's pretty unusual.

Just out of curiosity, do you remove the sheets every morning before you leave the room so housekeeping doesn't take them to be washed? And do you somehow launder them en route if you are away for several weeks? The more I think about the logistics, the more amazed I am.

Most of all, I would hate coming in late from a long dinner with lots of wine and having to make up the bed!

I leave the sheets on, make the bed so it looks neat, and leave a paper note requesting that my bed not be remade.

At the St. Regis in DC, not only did the daytime maid make the bed look even nicer than I had left it, later on the evening maid performed the most impeccable turndown.

But at another hotel, I can't recall which one, the maid put the bedspread over my precious sheets. Ewwww ! Have you seen the bedspread thread yet ? It's enough to make your stomach turn !

I have no idea what size bed sheets you carry in your luggage, but last I weighed a set of Queen sheets/cases it was close to 8lbs.

Now that the airlines have reduced weight allowances on Domestic flights to 50-lbs a bag I'd take these extra lbs. into consideration, or be charged for overweight.

My wife takes her own sheet, not because of cleaniless matters, but because most of the hotel sheets feel too rough. Should I complain? Whatever makes her happy... Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

Sandi, I take 2 king flat sheets and 2 king pillowcases. I haven't weighed them, but I can say that last year I spent several weeks in Europe with 2 carry-on sized bags, and my luggage weight was well under the Euro airlines' more stringent limits.

If I didn't pack the sheets, I guarantee you that space would be taken up by something else.

Jed, thanks for your post. Happiness should not be ignored. I sleep very well on my sheets. (Agreed about the scratchy factor.)

You may feel as if you're being attacked because the subject of your post is somewhat unusual. And people are responding with their answers, which don't agree with your view.

I cannot imagine making my own bed in a hotel where I paid $400 per night for a room.

When you travel for several weeks, how do you get your own sheets laundered?

To answer your original question, no I don't travel with bed sheets.

Fussy -

>>I take 2 king flat sheets and 2 king pillowcases.>>
>>but I can say that last year I spent several weeks in Europe>>

And how many times during those "several weeks" did you launder your own linens?

fussy traveller, would you use a toothbrush that had fallen on the floor in a public toilet in an airport?

Here's my common reply to the 3 latest posts:

> You may feel as if you're being
> attacked because the subject of your
> post is somewhat unusual. And people
> are responding with their
> answers, which don't agree with your
> view.

No, I feel as if I'm being attacked because people are making remarks that imply (or outright declare) that I've got some kind of problem or I'm doing something wrong.

According to the replies (which, by the way, are not answers to my question): I'm not taking the right bed linen, I'm staying in hotels that are too cheap, I'm staying in hotels that are too expensive, my standards are too high, I'm obsessing and I have phobias, I should "just call housekeeping" (why, so they can replace the sheet with a hole in it with something worse ?), I have bad luck, I'm possibly rude to my friends, I'm packing unnecessary items, I'm inconsistent because I don't reject laundered dinner napkins and towels, my luggage will be overweight due to the sheets, I'm weird for using my sheets in a $400 hotel room ...

These are not simply views I disagree with.

> And how many times during those
> "several weeks" did you launder
> your own linens?

Hmm, not sure why you felt the need to quote "several weeks". People usually do that when they suspect a statement or phrase is a fabrication.

So sorry, but you've all reached your question limit. I'm not submiting myself to any more interrogation. I suspect that the questions are not meant to solicit information as much as fuel more remarks that will imply I've got a problem or I'm doing something wrong.

This was meant to be a light-hearted thread, not an invitation to be flamed.

Read Jed's post again. He's got the right idea.

> would you use a toothbrush that had
> fallen on the floor in a public
> toilet in an airport?

This is really pitiful !

fussy, the toothbrush remark is a joke from another thread on the Europe board.

I certainly don't think you are doing anything "wrong" by taking your own sheets, but yes, I do think you are doing something "strange". I would guess that very few people take their own sheets when they travel unless they are camping or staying in hostels where sheets are not provided.

Maybe fodors should make this one of their Weekly Poll questions -- then we could get a better sampling.

(By the way, I wasn't implying that you were rude when you stayed at friends'. I just wondered how you handled what might be an awkward situation. And the towels, well, you ARE being inconsistent. You are willing to use towels laundered with others although they come into much more intimate contact with your body than do sheets.)

There was mention of your thread on the Europe board, that is why I referred to the toothbrush incident. Sorry if it insulted you, to each his/her own, if you want to take sheets that is fine.

My quirk is that I will not use washcloths from hotels, I know where people have had them before me, and it makes me want to gag.

No I don't take bed linen but I do take my own toilet seat!

As the first one to reply to your post, the "stealing the sheets" was a tongue-in-cheek" wiseguy crack - I guess I should have used a smiley.

I don't think anything wrong, but I do consider it a bit strange. I've always found higher quality linen in higher quality hotels, and adequate bed linen in the "economy" (eg: Motel6) hotels. I don't take time to "inspect", but if a sheet were ripped, or obviously not clean, I would want that situation corrected, but other than that, I don't worry about it. I do think the comparison made about bed linens to bath linens is a valid one.

To each their own, really. As you stated, "Good nights of sleep are worth the trouble". (I get grossed at nail clippings the broom/vacuum missed)

I find the things people choose to fixate on absolutely fascinating. Though somewhat inconsistent!

Willing to use towels, but not a washcloth or bedsheets provided.

Removing the bedspread, but sitting on an upholstered chair in the room.

Not willing to reuse your own toothbrush or comb that has dropped on the floor, but eating in restaurants (as a former waitress I will spare you these gory details).

suze, as I have said on another thread, we are very naive about the amount of bacteria we are exposed to every day in so many ways. And it doesn't kill us, or even make us sick most of the time.

To me it is the idea of what an object has been through that turns me off, not so much what is really on it.

I know a washcloth washes more intimate places of the previous guest than a towel does, and sometimes they just don't look like they have been washed in hot enough water, and I just don't want to wash my face with it.

I wouldnt sit naked on a hotel room chair or on the bedspread, I give the sheets the benefit of the doubt, but I have seen dirty pillow cases. In one instance I turned over the pillow in a hotel room and it had splotches of blood on it.

In a nice restaurant in Mexico City I found a rat dropping on my plate so I have some idea what goes on in restaurant kitchens, but I would rather not know.

What about when you visit a friend/relative and are their houseguest? Same craziness?

Frankly, I don't know why people bother with washcloths. I gave them up as soon as I figured out that washing myself with my hands worked just as well. What a great invention: Your Hands!! -- you can clean them yourself and never have to worry about not knowing where they've been!

Fussy -

I travel alot, but it's never occurred to me to take my own sheets. Different strokes....

I do, however, remove the bedspread on hotel beds the minute I check in. Every since I saw a story on some news program about the state of most hotel bedspreads, I can't stand the thought of touching one. Maybe it was Diane Sawyer who did the story(?)

hey Marilyn, I'm sure some will find this strange behaviour for some reason or other ... but I too am of the washcloth-free pursuasion. Your own two hands ... what a concept! Less to pack & like you mentioned, you know where they've been ~LOL.

Glad you agree Suze. It's been a whole day since my post and I've been waiting to be slammed for being unhygenic, disgusting, ewwww, how could you, etc. I have a feeling there are plenty of people out there who consider washcloths superfluous.

well Marilyn, Since *my* reputation is already ruined as a person who would in fact pick up their toothbrush off the floor (which I would never need to do because I always pack a spare BTW!) I figured I have nothing to lose~ haha. Talk about gross, is washing yourself with a soggy ole rag!!

Don't you girls bring your own sponges? I seem always to have them too many, getting them in all bath sets. I just use them and toss before going home so I don't have to bother to dry. If I move from hotel to hotel I just leave them for a while on the counter with a hairdryer on. For me to use a hotel-provided cloth is the same as to use somebody's toothbrush. And no, I don't bring my own sheets

Nope. Don't use a sponge or a washcloth. Don't use one at home, don't use one when traveling. Haven't used anything like that since I was probably about 16. As a considerate hostess, I do have some in my linen closet for house guests -- that's it.

Thankfully we're off the subject of sheets, but I do use washcloths and love them. I use plenty of plush, soft cloths at home and they air dry with no odors.

For traveling I use inexpensive cloths from Bed Bath & Beyond (seconds of the same hi-quality above, that might have a thread pull) and simply toss them when leaving one hotel onto the next. Half-dozen cloths certainly take up less room than sheets and don't weigh anything.

There is nothing wrong with hands, and I use them often, but for my bath or shower I go with washcloths.

If the issue is bacteria, there are way too many things that can "get us" - and we all seem to still be here and healthy. I'd sooner worry about the air out there?

Dear fussy traveler: I'm all for cleanliness but I don't understand the rationale of travelling with bedsheets...what next? inflatable furniture because upholstered furniture has been tainted...do you spray everything in your hotel with Lysol? Do you not handle door knobs unless gloved? And restaurants...God only knows how the food was hqandled or mishandled! Perhaps you should travel with a bubble type encasement. Sorry, I'm not making fun, but what's the worse that can happen if the sheets are a little tattered?

One good thing about hands: They are always with you, no running back into the house in the last minute, searching and frantically asking yourself: "Where did I put those darn thngs? When did I last see them?" etc.

Dear Fussy..would you like it or not but you do have a phobia(my professional opinion as a hypnotherapist) If you would like to get rid of it find NLP therapist in your ares and in a half an hour-yes, that's how long it takes) you will be free and concentrate on more beautiful things in life.
My best wishes,,,
btw don't even try to tell me that you have had any problems in any hotels in any parts of Germany...no, I live in NYC.

I've worked at a hotel, and a lot of people bring their own pillows. I can't blame you for bringing your own sheets because sheets in hotels are washed in bulk and fast-dried-pressed while wet. And imagine how many other people have drooled over them pillows hehehe... and the stuff people do on top of sheets!!!

Marie

Marilyn, I can't believe you didn't tell me about this fun thread. Beats dealing with the two, dull D's and now the "little" one over in Europe.

Fussy..congratulations, dear! You made me chuckle. I'm sorry to hear you've had such bad luck with pricey hosts. I haven't but, I love my sheets so much, I do think about taking them. Unfortunately, some piece of camera equipment takes priority. I do take my pillows, though. Not only are they great padding in my luggage they help the quality of my sleep and prevent neck aches.

I could tell you lots of luggage ingredient secrets of celebrities but then they wouldn't travel with me. Sorry, I'm not about to end that fun.

Sorry, NYCFS. As you can see from the dates, it ran hot and heavy through August, then dropped from interest for about a month.

It's always fun to wander over to the incredibly slow-moving Other Topics board to see what might pop up. I think it takes about 6 months for a post to drop off the top 50.

A first visit for me. Hope you're well, dear.

This was about the liveliest thread these past few months. Just never know what you'll find on "Other Topics" - come visit here more often.

I would not sit naked on a hotel's bed spread (I might get pregnant from all of the droppings left there).

SeaUrchin -

A rash or itch maybe, but "preggy" - doubt it, those critters are long dead!

See I was right, a very lively topic!

Yes you are right, hopefully the previous couple checked out early, lol.

One time in a hotel room though I turned over the pillow and it was soaked with blood, that can put off sleep at bit!

>>can put off sleep<<

more like "get me another room" better yet "get me out of here" - I don't even want to think about what the body looked like.

I think it's time this thread be expired!

I'm still laughing about the thought of getting pregnant from all the droppings left on the hotel bed spread.

She might want to bring her own toilet seat in fear of catching some type of venereal disease.

Eeeewww, gross!
I used to love staying in hotels. Now I have all these pleasant thoughts in my head

This really is the thread that won't die. Would someone please bludgeon it, wrap it in its own sheets of whatever thread count, and give it a decent burial!

Marilyn -
I'm right there with you! I thought when I suggested that the tread be expired, that would be it - but it keeps going and going and going.
Can't someone kill this Eveready bunny?

You can't kill threads in the twilight zone of "other topics". Things move so slowly here that this sucker could sit at the top for days! If you really want to kill it, reply to 50 other threads here and watch it sink. And I won't feel guilty for posting here because this one's been at the top all day

Auntie Mame, oh I mean NYCFS, I bring my own pillow too, my ears start hurting from those hard pillows if I use the hotel's.

Small world isn't it?

Auntie Mame? I saw the movie. I knew Lucy and I know Lucie. What am I missing?

I think SeaUrchin is referring to me and trying to pin my identity onto yours, NYCFS. This forum is full of conspiracy theorists and too much negativity for me. I admire your ability to manage among them. I can't do it. Some people give thoughtful and very useful advice. I'll continue to read but my desire to post is over. Well wishes to you.

Nothing of the sort, I didn't know there was a poster here named auntie mame. I was referring to the movie and some of NYCFS's way with words remind me of Auntie Mame, a movie I like by the way.

Isn't it a little ironic that seaurchin is accused by auntie mame of insulting food snob? We have to keep our senses of humor and perspective, don't we?

I'm sorry, SeaUrchin. What a coincidence. I made a fool of myself awhile back and I guess I did it again. You see, bad omens. I'm better off keeping my mouth shut. Again, my apologies.

This thread fascinated me. Mainly because, when taken with the other concurrent threads by the original poster, I got a mental picture of a neurotic that doesn't like being in contact with anything touched by other people-- or with other people. He/she also took great umbrage when others noted this-- and hasn't posted since. Did he/she pick up his/her toys and go home...?

And for the record, although I don't find the over-bleached sheets you get at most hotels sumptuous, I think they're safe. And as long as my honey's by my side, I sleep like a baby...

Here is another thought: In a hotel corridor I caught a man urinating in his room's complimentary coffee pot.

So, probably the next morning the maid rinsed it out and put it back on the stand.

Whoa, nocinonut, I am not the squeamish type, as anyone who reads my posts can tell. I think exposure to a little dirt and germs won't kill you, and Americans in general are over the top about the subject. I don't really care what someone did in the bathtub or on the bedspread. But frankly, your last post will be permanently lodged in my brain, and it may be a long time before I use the coffeepot in any hotel room again.

It was truely a shock as you can imagine. I was with a co-worker and he laughed and said that his roommate on the road used to urinate in the hotel ice buckets if he didnt want to walk all of the way to the toilet.

So.....it may be more common than we think......yuck is right.

By the way we surmised that the original man's bathroom must have been in use so he used whatever was on hand and must have left the room so he wouldn't be "caught" until we caught him.

People do crazier things in their hotel room then they would in their own home. Is driving a rental car any different? They know the stuff doesn't belong to them and they've paying big bucks (sometimes) for temporary ownership so why not sieze the opportunity to live out a fantasy? I'm with Marilyn on germs and dirt...Americans are too neurotic about cleanliness (my words, not hers). Just don't tell my housekeeper.

I've been traveling with my Bialetti for years. Before that, I traveled with my Kalita from Japan. The coffee pot issue is mute with me.

If your fantasy is peeing into the hotel coffee pot...well, what can I say?

It's rarely about the specific act. It's the fantasy to be as outrageous as you want to be simply because you can and will, most likely, get away with it. Rock stars have been doing it for years. I've got plenty of those photos archived.

That does it! I'm buying an RV!

lol, Cedar!

NYCFS, it sounds like judicious sales to the tabloids from your photo archives could fund a very comfortable retirement.

How many are caught with coffee pots in hand?

The hotels should put up a little sign above the coffe pots with a man and a coffee pot in a certain position and have a red line across it. Then another one above the ice bucket, then another.........

I do have a photo of a very famous musician urinating at the edge of his terrace into the pool below. Thank goodness it was our last night in that 4-star hotel.

Marilyn, I won't be selling any of those pics in my lifetime. Too many of these wild folks are still friends. I'll let my Godson deal with it all. He inherits everything.

The coffeepot & ice bucket tales are priceless!! Yee haw.

I'm still retelling various friends the story I found terribly amusing a couple months back on this branch, where Blondie went without a toothbrush for days, rather than pick hers up off the airport bathroom floor where she dropped it while freshening up.

Sooooo THIS is good!!!

Most Underrated Board on Fodors: Other Topics

I am wondering if this is a secret motivation for people who like to travel in their own RVs - they get to take their own everything.

Just discovering the wonders of the Other bbs.

Marilyn, I choose to use a washcloth because I wear mascara that creates raccoon eyes if not removed completely and eye-makeup remover stings my contacts.

Koshka

Gail, we have thought seriously about travelling in our own RV so we could take one of our most prized possessions: our cat Romeo. He rather likes cars and we think he would travel well.

Koshka, I can't understand how we made it through an entire evening without discussing washcloths!

Marilyn, I suspect that Romeo would object strenuously and vociferously to being referred to as a "possession". I believe that he probably owns you, not vice-versa (as the ownee of 2 cats , I know what I'm talking about). ................

A dog looks at his food dish and his water dish and then at his owner and thinks "You feed me, give me water, provide shelter and love, let me in and out as I need. You provide me with everything I require. ... You must be God!"

A cat looks at his food dish and his water dish and then at his owner and thinks "You feed me, give me water, provide shelter and love, let me in and out as I need. You provide me with everything I require .... I must be God!"

LOL


Linda

Linda, LOL indeed! I don't know if Romeo would object so much as think we were delusional. There is no doubt whatsoever who is in charge in this house -- Romeo is Da Man (Da Cat?).

Marilyn, you didn't discuss the washclothes the entire evening??? Shame you!!! If was the highlight of my evening to convince Kikahead she missed the most importent thread - she had no idea the subject of kicking the beadspreads off with feet was discussed!

What will be the topic of the next get-together, I wonder...

Oh Faina, so many choices! Here are a few suggested topics:
1. ATM's: Friend or Foe?
2. Compare and contrast Trenitalia and SNCF. Which website is less user-friendly and why?
3. The Doppelganger Effect: If you pack doubles on everything just in case, will the laws of physics require a clone to carry them?
4. What was your most expensive mini bar experience, and in what ways did it scar you for life?
5. Design an itinerary that covers the maximum number of countries and cities in the minimum number of days. Points to be deducted for every morning you actually wake up in the same place you went to sleep. (Wait a minute, isn't that a reality tv show?)
6. What is the rudest remark you ever made (on purpose) to a Parisian waiter?

More suggestions?

I thought we put this one to bed weeks ago - imagine my surprise to see it up top again - and talking about the pets now!

Hi sandi -- old threads never die, they just put on their frayed bed sheets and come back to haunt you.

Marilyn -

I guess they do - drat!

I use baby wipes instead of hotel washcloths - they're portable and don't fall apart. I also travel with my own pillowslip. Who knows how often the pillows are washed!

I cannot believe this thread has been resurrected. Oh my!

You're right Marilyn - those darn sheets again. Seems we can't bury this deep enough.

Relax, ladies, it's like seeing an old friend friend... or relative?

Yes, yes, like a bad penny!

topping... refreshments, anyone?

I travel w/rubber sheets. That way nothing can leak up from the mattress either.

It's baaaack. Can't we just let this one die an easy death. Believe we're sheeted out!

Who keeps topping this thread?

Sorry, mea culpa. It was just so relevant to the other germophobe thread. I'm done now.

Hey a great idea and to save on space is disposable travel underwear, its convenient and comfortable too! Check out this link: http://www.nb-enterprises.com

You could use edible underwear, this way you wouldn't leave anything behind (pun intended).

With some expresso you couldn't tell the difference from a regular hotel breakfast, and non-fattening to boot.

OK, I'll stop.

I would much more like my own pillow as most people drool on them and there is only a pillow case between you and that stuff. buck

I also like to take my own hypoallergenic pillow.

Thought this thread was gone forever... yet, it has been raised from the dead.

It has been nearly 40 years since my last formal psychiatric training, but they now have effective medication for your behavior/needs, lol!
M

And I do not think I have ever read a funnier thread on Fodor's!

If I had to worry about bringing my own bed linens, towels etc. on every trip I would just give up and stay home.

And how about the silverwear at restaurants. Doesn't one think they have been handled by people (like when the table is being set?). Oh, the dishes too, in fact the food.

The list could go on and on.

But then Howard Hughes was a bit uptight about germs as I understand.

Actually being concerned to this extent is not funny, it is sad IMHO.

I was wondering how this thread found it's place "up top" again. Admittedly, it is a howl and we all need a good howl on occasion.

Like a bad penny, is it not.

Actually Sandi, I agree, getting close to the end of the week so a good laugh is indeed needed.

Should we laugh or cry reading this? Everybody votes!

I say: cry out loud LOL

Sorry for resuscitating an old thread that many would prefer to see dead but I could not resist. While I do not travel with my own sheets, the thought has certainly crossed my mind as I do travel a lot for work. I've heard some horrific stories from fellow travellers and a partciularly nasty one from a friend who used to work at the Gramercy Park hotel in NYC. Re. the Gramercy (this was about 10 years ago), my friend told me that the housekeepers routinely skipped changing bedsheets between guests unless they were visibly soiled. She worked at the front desk and not infrequently dealt with angry guests who found evidence of poor housekeeping. Once fuming guest reported that he had found a used condom between the top sheet and the blanket. <p>Another friend told me about a time when he stayed at a low-star hotel in Italy (I don't remember if it was a 1-star or a 2-star) that he found a large map of blood on the bed sheet. Naturally, he complained and ended up having that hotel pay for his stay at a Holiday Inn near by.<p> From my own recent experience, I have had to call housekeeping to change the bed sheet at the Homewood Suites in downtown Chicago because of a crusty, rust-colored stain on the bed sheet. <p> I admit I am on the phobic-side but I do what I have to do for my peace of mind. For example, upon arrival at a hotel room, I turn on the a/c, remove the bedspread (and stuff it in the closet, never to use again during my stay)and turn the blankets/comforters over to "air out" the bed. I do this because we all perspire during sleep and yet hotel bedding usually gets very little airing as most people prefer to have their beds made, trapping the moisture (which can only promote the proliferation of mites, bacteria, bedbugs,etc.)

I'm baaack ....

It's been almost 2 years since I started this thread, and I still travel with my sheets. In fact, when I can do it I also travel with my down throw and 1 or 2 pillows, too.

I'm still amazed by the harsh replies. I said it before and I'll say it again: I wasn't seeking validation, I was just curious to know if anyone else does what I do. I bring all sorts of things with me to make my vacations more pleasant. I don't like sleeping on yucky hotel sheets, and I sleep very well on my own sheets, so why not take them ? Perhaps the people who challenged me are control freaks who should seek psychological counseling. Or maybe they have crappy sheets on their beds at home so they don't notice how crappy sheets the sheets are on the hotel beds.

I see I never did respond to the presumptive posts regarding my multiple week Euro trip. Laundering the sheets was a non-issue because I used them for only 2 nights. All but one of the hotels I stayed in had lovely sheets. I can't say this has been the case for all of my trips to Europe, but that time I hit the jackpot. One hotel even had linen sheets. I normally don't take multiple week trips, so I'll address the laundering issue at the time if it ever arises. So far it hasn't.

By the way, I'm still a fan of Garnet Hill. They have very nice crisp smooth cotton sheets at reasonable prices.

As a B&B owner who has had dozens of washcloths ruined by makeup I would love those travellers who chose not to use them.

I have a few guests who travel with their own pillows, but none with their own sheets... but that would be great- less laundry for me.

And since they are already bringing half of the bed- maybe they could bring their breakfast too?

Then my place would be a BYOB&B.

Topping... just because

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting several Fodorites at the GTG in San Antonio. Marilyn told me to check out this thread, and it is indeed a hoot!! Thanks Marilyn, and thanks to you too, fussy_traveller. Not many posters ever start a thread that is so enduring.

For me personally, I have only stayed at one hotel where the sheets were unacceptable. We complained and the owners assured us they change the sheets every day. I'm sure they change the sheets, allright....from one room to the next.

This thread is new to me, too, and I loved it! Now can someone tell me how to find Freaky or Normal?

Regarding travelling with sheets, it's just so much lighter to carry a box of Saran Wrap. I have my husband wrap me like a mummy, head to toe, every night. An added bonus is that I wake up 12 pounds lighter.

Freak or normal is on the USA forum, type it in the search window and it should do the trick.

But... thanks to your mummy suggestion, I'll make it easier for you:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1&tid=34490489

Thanks, FainaAgain,
As my mother-in-law would say, "People!"

hi.

I am a reporter in Chicago working on a story about this topic. Looking from some Chicago-area folks I can talk to.

Thanks!

Please email me directly at lguerrero@suntimes.com

The last time I went to England on a tour I was amazed to find that they do not give you top sheets. I am bringing one top sheet and a few face cloths on my trip... will make at least one trip to the laundromat while in Ireland.

Last year when we were in Vegas for a girls weekend, someone mentioned they always check under the mattress because people stash money there and are too drunk to remember and sometimes forget about it when they leave. Curiousity got the best of one of us and when she lifted it up, all that was there was a pair of dirty men's underwear!!! WE SCREAMED SO LOUD and got the ice tongs to remove them to hang on the door knob of our friends adjoining room. Its a story we have retold a hundred times.

Wow. Looking under the mattress. I haven't done that before. I'm going on a trip Thursday night and I know I'll have a laugh when I get to my hotel room. Should I look, or shouldn't I ????

Hello. I am a reporter working on a story about hotel bedding. I was hoping to talk to someone from Iowa about this topic. If anyone could help me out, it would be appreciated. Please email kelsey.holm@wcfcourier.com. Thanks!

Good story CarlaM, but now we will have to start travelling with our own ice tongs!!!

I have traveled extensively in the USA and the world. I have encountered flea's, bloodly sheets, darn right dirty sheets and no sheets. Contact me if you would like more info. for a story.

My sincerest regrets go out to anyone who has had a bad experience in a hotel while traveling. I have had the personal luck of staying in honestly hundreds of excellent rooms and the misfortune of staying in at least several dozen with major problems.

As the General Manager of a hotel property for the last 5 years I have attempted whenever possible to incorporate and find solutions to not only the problems that I have encountered elsewhere but also the comments of my guests about my property and other properties at which the guest has had both good and bad experiences.

ALL sheets, towels, bedspreads, mattress pads, etc. that are used on my property are laundered and cleaned on-site by staff using processes that management can control for quality and cleanliness of output. When problems come up solutions can be developed to prevent re-occurance in basically ZERO time.

If a guest is concerned about a spot on the linens that has missed the 3 step check process of having 1 person wash/inspect/fold the linens, a 2nd person make the bed and inspect the linens, and a 3rd person inspect the overall room cleaning job AND yes a few problems can still come up. In these cases I wouldn't even argue I would appologize and be over (personally if need be) to change the sheets and correct the problem within 10 minutes...THAT IS A NO-BRAINER.

However, if a guest wishes the comfort of their own sheets that is great in my book. I have seen this come up not only because of comfort but due to allergies. Some guests over the years have been allergic to one or several items including bleach, scents, oxygen bleach or even cotton. If the guest sleeps best on their own sheets (whatever the reason) they have a better stay--and for that I am happy.

sincere,

How often do you launder the bedspreads?

Fussy are you a Yale student ?

ttt

ventdest
Not to mention gloves to put on before touching the door knobs! I'm sure that door knob was not bleached down! Eeeeew!!!!

I think it is best to wrap yourself up like a mummy in saran wrap before you get into the bed. You might have to take it off before you bathe though....or get up in the middle of the night....hmmmm....maybe not such a good idea....

SeaUrchin

You could just cut holes in all the right places so that you wouldn't have to unwrap the whole thing if you needed to pee in the middle of the night...but then the germs would get in...hmmm....

Oh grief!
Maybe I'll just stay home instead of travelling!
Oh...but wait a second...there are germs at home too...

There are germs at home?! AT HOME??!!! MY GAWD!! I'm outta here!! Does anyone know a good realtor in Phoenix???............

At least they aren't those durn foreener germs.

We could always bathe in Listerine, that would be a good waker upper in the morning!

No foreigner germs?

Well, let's get paranoid for a mo shall we?

We go grocery shopping. I suspect we'll just have to use a shopping cart. There are apparently more germs on those things than a public toilet.

We put the groceries in our car. Then put them in our kitchens. How many of us wach each item off in bleach before stacking them in our pantry?

Bed sheets seem so trivial when you think about all those germs lurking around in our kitchens!
Ewwwwwww!!!!

I can't believe this thread has gone on for three years. . .

I can't believe that you just revived it.

On one of our local radio stations, it was reported that the local crime scene police felt they needed to take their own sheets when traveling after using the special light to see body fluids, etc.. on bed sheets. They said you would not believe what was found on sheets and many even in better hotels aren't washed often and as they should be! Yuck

*ewww*

topping

I know of someone who purposely spills a drink on her bed so that everything is changed on the day she arrives;that way she is guaranteed fresh sheets.

Ah, yes. The classics never die.

she could just...travel with her own bed sheets...

well, a sleepingbag will do

What a great thread, JAGIRL!

This one is funny and entertaining, plus it'll help you get started on that diet right away - you won't have an appetite after reading some of this stuff!

I routinely take a little pillow;the bean bag kind, that I can drape over my ears/eyes when I need quiet/dark/privacy. All else takes too much room in the bag. I always just take one bag..more is too much when you are in motion, in my opinion. After all, airplane seats/rental cars, trains, etc., are all pretty dirty, if you looked at them under a microscope, but fortunately, the human animal is pretty tough.

How much privacy a little pillow can give you, SamTing?

speedbuggy, LOL
It is a funny post indeed.

topping for fussy fodorites

This is funny, Sea. I haven't read every post, but I can see only one reason to travel with bed sheets: if I thought I might have to kill somebody.

LucieV - in that case, be sure to get those waterproof sheets!

Excellent advice, toed.

Oh, SeaUrchin, it's still too funny! Thanks!

How about this; does anyone travel with their own pillow? We took a cruise and I folded my body pillow in half and it fit neatly into a cloth carryon. I don't think I would do it if I had to trek to multiple hotels, but on a trip where we take the car; it goes everytime. I sleep like the dead, but no body pillow, and I get lower back pain.
Anyone else with a similar quirk?

I know I shouldn't contribute to this over-long post...but what the heck.

I stayed at the Village at Squaw recently and the beds were so miserable that we could not sleep at all. We had reserved for a week, but three nights was all we could handle. We were so exhausted. The sheets were polyester. The mattress was cheap, thin, springs poking up all over, you could feel every spring. And it was topped by one of those polyester cheap mattress covers that are held on by little elastic bands.

Can you believe it? this place is not cheap. I check with several other people in other suites or rooms and they all had the same beds and sheets.

I usually bring along a nice pillow case, but now I have to bring sheets.

And I will never return to this resort at Squaw Valley....even though it was in every other respect a pretty good place to hang out.

I don't think you are crazy....

As a hotel room germ freak, this discussion is more than I can resist! I don't bring my own sheets, but don't have a great feeling bedding down in a hotel room. Upon entering, I turn down the bedspread with a tissue, and try not to touch it again. Sometimes I've removed it alltogether, with a note to leave it off. (If they really want to put this traveler's mind at ease, it would be great knowing that the bedspread and blanket had been washed after each guest--never mind thread counts). Anyway, here's how I Imagine things at a hotel: The room attendant removes the used sheets, towels, and washcloths, and puts them in the cart. Then she takes the new ones and puts them into place. Maybe there's a lot of hand-washing involved, but I've seen too many women leave a restroom without washing their hands to be confident of this. Anyway, I take a roll of paper towels for a little face washing and drying, and old hand-towels for showers, which I leave behind. I put the hotel's handtowel on a chair before sitting. Plenty of people would laugh at this, and that's fine! I cringe at others' nonchalance at flopping around a hotel room filled with that many strangers' germs. A little off-topic: there are grocery stores in our area who are supplying anti-bacterial wipes to clean the cart handle before shopping!

Evidently so. On the Unclaimed Baggage website, there's a brand new set of Michael Kors' sheets in a giraffe pattern for sale.

There is absolutely no need to supply wipes for door knobs, handles on grocery carts, etc., since the issue is whether or not you wash your hands frequently enough to eliminate at least some of the millions of pathogens picked up on a regular basis, even in those "clean houses" everyone swears they keep.

Fussy Traveler, you said you were repulsed by "most hotels' bed linens" and that you didn't think you were "expecting too much..." etc.

I would agree that you aren't expecting too much for your money. Unfortunately, I do think that your elaborate travel arrangements, even if they are just like Diane Sawyer's, are doing little, if anything, to preserve your safety but if doing so makes you feel better then that's fine.

Please don't forget that you are the one who keeps talking about "having a problem" and obviously your attempt to convince yourself that you don't was unsuccessful.

I rarely worry about filthy linens. I'm too worried about the comditions in the kitchens that prepare my food...chicken "juice" dripping on my salad greens and worse. And being home doesn't help much when you know that many farm field workers do not have access to "restrooms" while picking our fruits and vegetables.

topping

let's see--august of 2003----
to June, 2007---
could this be a "record" for the longest going post??????
hmmmm

well it's right up there for one of the most funny ones.

No, someone revived on from 2001 the other day.

I think some people that carry their own sheets are not going to use them for sleeping eh?

I am the originator of this thread, and I think it's pretty funny that people are still commenting, but then it is still a relevant issue because the sheet situation is NOT GETTING BETTER !

I still do it. In fact, when I travel by car I take a flat sheet and twin-sized lightweight down comforter and sometimes a pillow or two, too ! It helps me sleep better. What can I say ... my sheets at home are really nice and I am disgusted by hole-y, stained, rough, or threadbare sheets. It really has nothing to do with germs, but I did read the post about the crime scene investigators who have seen enough crap on bedding to now take their own !

For me it's a quality issue. If I am staying in a moderately expensive or expensive hotel, the sheets should be nice IMO. I still think the best bed I ever slept in was at the Hotel Bristol in Vienna. I did not even have the top-quality room there. The bed was absolutely pristine.

Now here's something I do that IS related to germs ... I put the remote in a baggie and use it that way for the duration of my stay. I read that the remotes are never cleaned and testers have found feces and other crud on there. Having been a victim of the norovirus last year, I understand the power of a microscopic piece of infected poo. (I think I got mine in a salad, which is even more disgusting than getting it from a remote.)

And for the record, I did buy some nice Aquis microfiber waffle-weaved products ... bath towel, hair towel, and washcloth, and would consider taking them on a trip if I had no choice but to stay in a crappy hotel, but I haven't yet used them. I don't usually have an issue with hotel towels.

Btw Dukey, I don't think I ever said I had a "problem". I'm perfectly comfortable with taking my own sheets on trips, and in fact I've converted some other people merely by mentioning that I do it. (They have a "that's a good idea" reaction and don't think it's aberrant.) I don't need validation, I was simply wondering if anyone else did it, that's why I posted. I was amazed at how many people attacked me and required me to defend my practice. Why would they care what I do ? Bizarre. But if it makes you feel better to think that I have a problem and that I'm deceiving myself, by all means go ahead. And good luck in life and relationships with that kind of presumptive a-hole attitude.

fussy, you have initiated one of the most interesting threads in fodorite history. thank you for coming back.

FT: If I had room in my suitcase I wld BMOS...for sure! About the remote: I don't "bag it" but that's a good idea....I do clean it. And the phones too. The phones gross me out.

ttt

I interned for a summer at a nice hotel in France, and would be happy to answer any questions about how things are done/how often things are washed etc. I worked in housekeeping as a maid the entire time. Also have worked as a waitress and front desk agent in other hotels....just in case anyone has anything to ask.

I always bring my own sheets, blanket (I hate the velux ones) and pillows if I can. I find it is worth it for my sake.

Now, I just returned from Bermuda and I did not bring any of those things. No room! And I was pleasantly surprised. The club I stayed at had decent sheets and pillows, but the blanket was a crappy one! For all that money, you would think you would get decent bed linens all the way around!

fussy traveler: How on earth do you travel in an airplane, a train, a bus, or even a taxi? Gas station restrooms must be hell for you.

character, fussy traveler hasn't posted on Fodors in well over 4 years, so I doubt she will get your remarks or answer your question.

Look above- fussy traveler posted in June 2007.

This thread is wonderful! I have promised myself that bringing bedsheets will trump carryon on my next trip to hawaii.

I have rented the most fabulous places but in rentals I am always dissappointed in the sheet quality.

But the hotels I book always have good bedding.

No way.

Wow, character, you're right that fussytraveler returned after an absence of four years just to repost on this thread. When I clicked on the screen name, there were no other posts in that time, and I failed to find the second post on this thread last year. I suppose we would know this poster by another name as well?

I don't know if fussy_traveler has another handle or not.

I shudder to think of the amount of additional jet fuel needed for everyone to start bringing their bedding with them on holidays. Just seems so......overdramatic.

However, I might consider some sanitizing wipes for the remote.

OMG, this post is back!

(still one of my favorites!)

Well, this has been a fun and sometimes creepy read!

okay, I will confess that when we have booked at a potentially questionable lodging I will bring along a fresh pillowcase. I've stayed in cabins, college dorms, ashrams, etc. where this has been a great solace.

The clean, soft pillowcase somehow helps me endure the "ewwww" factor a bit better. And, it takes up so little room in my suitcase.

I do use the washcloths (well I did until now!) but I take that bedspread right off the bed...

Drives my husband nuts, but I hate when he comes home and sits on our bed in the clothes he wore all day or (God forbid) puts his suitcase on the bed after a trip. Thank God he loves this germaphobe

I have lots of friends that travel with pillowcases, pillows, blankets, etc. So I don't find fussy weird at all.

I do take my very thin pillow in my carry-on, fold it in half and put my laptop inside. No laptop case needed.

Fussy traveler! A soulmate! I've travelled with sheets, a pillow and a down comforter to London b/c I'd rather carry the extra bag and be comfortable during my stay. It's such a luxury. Too many gross possibilities to consider REGARDLESS of the price of the room. Fussy travelers, unite!

This is one of the most fun threads (not just in the travel category, either) that I've ever read. Fussy_traveler, I totally get you. If I didn't mind the extra weight in my suitcase, I'd carry one of my own 350-thread-count sheets. But, alas, I cannot do it because I tend to my favorite 27-inch upright--oooh, that was an inadvertent pun, right there--someone pass me a hand towel ... uh, never mind. But seriously, I tend to pack my upright suitcase with too many pairs of shoes as if I'm expecting to go out on dates on consecutive nights with the same stranger. I WILL be carrying my own washcloths on trips from now on, after reading some of the posts on this thread, and knowing how thorough I am while washing my naughty parts.

I have an immune disorder and have been traveling for over 100 days a year for a long time. I don't usually get sick traveling so, no, I don't pack my own linens... I'd rather pack another travel book.

I thought when I first read the post directly above quickly, you said you'd been traveling for more than 100 years!!! I thought... that is pretty good!

I don't travel with my own sheets, and am probably not as germophobic as I should be, but a related story:

Once, years ago, my husband and I went to a wedding in Virginia. We were driving back to Florida, but got diverted when we discovered a festival going on and decided to check it out, meaning that we didn't even get close to Florida and found ourselves driving around Columbia, South Carolina on a weekend in July at about 10 o'clock at night, desperately searching for a motel, hotel..something!

We finally ended up at a Red Roof Inn in downtown Columbia. Certainly the grimiest motel I've ever been in. Gah. The sheets were not as much a problem for me as the pillowcases. I don't remember what it was, but I just couldn't put my head down. Couldn't bear it. Solution: I got out one of my t-shirts and used it as a pillowcase. It worked!

I don't bring my own sheets, but I do check to see how clean the ones on the bed are. I have found a well used condom next to the bed. That caused me to insist on a different room with a maid and man inspecting the new room with me.

Ugh, that's disgusting! I would've insisted on an entire free week's stay! Plus free meals. Plus free laundry service...

We really never considered taking our own sheets until our trip to Costa Rica last year. We rented a guest house for a week from private owners who lived on the property and had two guest houses there.

It was the third night when we had just gotten a bit pink from the sun that was unbearable. The thread bare but pilled sheets felt as though we were sleeping on a bed of nails!

So now, yes. We will make room for a set of sheets, especially if we're going to somewhere off the beaten track!

Are you crazy people still at it?

lol.... yeah, I guess I've joined them. I just saw the date of that first post!!

Conspiracy theorists, relax. I don't have any other ID on this site. I post infrequently because I post infrequently. Today I received an email from TripAdvisor and was reading hotel horror stories, and it made me think about sheets and this sheet thread. It took me a while to find it. I didn't even remember my user name and had to have a password emailed to me.

I've only taken a couple of trips in the past year but I did take, and use, my own bedding. I slept very very well on my cool flat sheet with the lightweight down comforter on top of me and my head on my own clean odor-free down pillow.

And I "bagged" the remote too. Norovirus indeed changed my life.

I'm glad to see that a few other people also take certain pieces of bedding to make their hotel stays more comfortable. But I'm still amazed by the wrath. Only a control freak or a miserably angry psychopath could be upset by this practice. "She .. takes .. sheets .. I .. must .. destroy .. her!!"

Anyway, I am moving beyond simply enjoying my own habit and I am now highly recommending that others do it, when possible.

Your friend,
Fussy J. Traveller

Fussy~ You should be proud. Your thread is a Fodor's classic. It's often referred to in other conversations here as a benchmark (as in, "remember the person who travels to 5-star hotels with her own linens").

Now I get why some travellers can't manage carry-on only!! My pj's are between me and the sheets so as long as the sheets are in good condition and clean, I'm a happy traveller. I've stayed in a variety of accommodation over the years and have never come across a sheet with a hole or a tear, I would hit the roof if I did. However, I think I may be converted to the idea of bringing a pillow slip which would take up virtually no room at all in my luggage.

Fussy_traveller - you are a legend!!

Fusy Traveler's thread topped Google! I am about to travel (driving not flying) to a one-star motel for the first time. I considered the sanitary quality, and didn't know what I could do. So, I googled the phrase "tips to stay in motel "bring sheets"". The first hit was fussy traveler's post. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it lol.
Now I AM bringing my sheets, as well as washcloths and pillows and pillowcases. ty, FT and Fodorites

I think it would be a good idea to get one of those astronaut suit things.
Then you wouldn't have to pack bed sheets & you wouldn't have to plastic-encase the tv remote.
You could get some of those astronaut diaper things, too, so you wouldn't have to risk putting your tushie on a non-sterile toilet seat.

Not sheets, but my pillow. I have to do some creative packing to fit it in my 21" suitcase. When I sleep on a "strange" pillow, my neck gives me fits. Can't ruin a good vaca because of that!

My sister, who rarely travels, found a lightweight alternative to sheets when she had to go on her first business trip.

Her company had put her in a decent, mid-range hotel. She didn't notice any particular problems with the cleanliness of her room, but just to be sure, she slept inside a large garbage bag that she'd brought along for the occasion.

MareW - your sister slept in a garbage bag!!! I can't begin to imagine how hideous that would be!! Oh dear, I would rather bring my own sheets than do that!! LOL

I use a bucket instead of a carry on bag, and take a mop with a folding handle. On arrival, I drown the bed thoroughly, disinfect the light switches, TV remote and the inside of the bar fridge plus contents.
I then mop the bathroom walls, floor and ceiling (actually, the ceiling, walls and then floor, in that order).

I then launder the towels and sheets - I can't carry my own, because they won't fit in the bucket - and then thoroughly clean the keyboards of my cell phone and laptop.

After that, I take off my surgical gloves.

Obsessive?

Moi?

Yes I take my own sheets when I travel. I also take my pillow, towels and washcloth. I pack them in their own suitcase and check it. It is worth the cost of a checked bag to know I will get a clean and germ free good nights sleep.
I have talked to housekeeping at a few hotels and they said quite a few people do this.
By the way this thread was really too long to read so I didn't read it. I am sure there are several folks who replied "yes" to your question.
oh and the sheets and towels make a great cushion for souveniers I pick up along the way.

well it should be LONG (!) this thread's over SIX YEARS old

just bought my second allersac travel sheet, gave my first one to my nephew, love the product.

I own a Sanitation Company. Yes, I work on it daily. Yes, I sleep in Hotels. LOL. Better bring your own sheets.

When you go to hospital, do you take your own sheets? Just think, you might well be in a bed where the previous occupant carked it, fell off the perch, snuffed it, shuffled off the mortal coil, died!
And the sheets will be laundered at a place that also launders sheets from other hospitals, hotels, maybe even prisons. Scary, hey?
Makes the average hotel look quite hygienic by comparison.
And, for what it's worth, I work in the water industry, aka sewage treatment.

This is pretty hilarious. I love how one thing can disgust one person so much and really not bother another at all. Is one a spaz, is the other a slob, are they both nuts?

I'm going to go with the assumption that the sheets have been laundered, even if they're old and potentially stained. I have items that are stained but clean. The bedspread is pretty nasty sometimes, but I leave it on the bed for the weight and warmth. I flip the sheet back over the top so I only have the sheet against my face and call it good enough.

As I've grown up spending a lot of time on a horse farm, it's pretty unlikely that I'll be exposed to anything that will gross me out. The ick factor from using the room after it has been used by strangers doing who knows what is unavoidable and best to just be ignored as much as possible.

I am enjoying this thread. Taking your own sheets is ok, BUT, do you ever think that just under that thin layer of cotton is a mattress that has who knows WHAT done on it or left on it.

OK, I just HAD TO revive this one, after being linked to it.

Oh God, the monster from the deep re-surfaces!

LOL Peter, I was going to say the same thing when I saw it back at the top of my list!!

Hey, don't call me a monster, Peter!
I never would have known of this had another not posted a link.

Aw, thanks Steeler. My favorite and the one that started my Fodor's addiction. Smile.

Here's the answer to not wanting to use hotel washcloths--
http://wondercloth.com/content/default.asp

I found the Wonder Cloth when planning my second trip to Europe after finding out on my first trip the European hotels didn't provide washcloths. I love it. Travel with it all the time. All my make up rinses out and it dries quickly (I use cloths only on my face and a bath puff for the rest). All the germs are mine.

DH would never let me get away with packing sheets, but that's OK because I don't plan to spend any of my travel time making up beds. Just turn the bedspread to the bottom of the bed (or into a corner) and make sure sheets are clean. Usually have my pillow if it's a car trip. Tempted to start packing a pillowcase when we fly.

After my first trip to Europe I learned to take washcloths. I bought a bundle (12) of baby washcloths to take with me. They take up almost no room, dry quickly, are cheap so I could toss them if I wanted to. Now I always throw a few of them in my suitcase, even in the US, just in case the hotel is tight with the linens. I NEVER touch the bedspread - even in the most expensive hotels. I do love the places that have the duvet covers that are laundered after every guest and tend to stay there if possible.

Oh sheet! The monster from the deep resurfaces.

OMG - I didn't realize this was an old thread for until half thru it. I hate the bedspread and the blanket but don't bring my own. If I were rich I would though or have new ones put on the bed.

I travel with a queen size top sheet to lay atop the coverlet or comforter. I then can sit or recline on top of the bed and feel comfortable. At bedtime, I remove their comforter to another bed or area and use the sheets provided me. If I travel by car, I always take my pillow.

I travel with my own bed.

OK, now who's going to chime in and claim that they bring their own bedroom suite of furniture, and their own toilet seat?

I travel with a fully equipped laundry – washing machine, dryer, ironing board and iron, spray starch, stain remover, fabric softener and a variety of detergents.

I am struggling with the carry on requirements, and the liquids and gels requirements have really cramped my style.

If you could see the bill for my excess baggage ..........

Oh this thread is hilarious! What can I say? I have a friend who not only brings her own sheets and towels for hotel rooms and cruises, but also does this at friends and relatives homes. Accept the neurosis as it is.

Just so she isn't bringing BEDBUGS!

I can just imagine the day she picks up a bedbug. FREAKOUT! That would be the end of hotel rooms period.Forever.

Don't trust those foreign bogs.
I never travel without my thunderbox

After all those stories about the bedbug infestations in New York, the EU is bringing in regulations to make all hotels install walk-under insecticidal sprays in their lobbies for those with US passports.
All credit card readers will automatically spray any user who hasn't got a PIN

Time this was reactivated - you can't bee too careful, I think.

There are risks EVERYWHERE!

I don't know how I missed this post for 8 years.

I have always travelled with my own pillow. One time when I was little, I left it in the room after check out and made my parents go back to get it. I have since upgraded to taking a blanket, washcloths, towels and an extra pillowcase. I can't tell you how useful they have been on some trips.

Just checking up on my thread. I think the concept is not so strange now compared to 2003 when I first posted ... and I'd already been doing it for a couple of years then. I'm married now and my husband is totally into it. It's really not a bother, we have a king flat, 4 cases, and a lightweight down comforter that fits very nicely into a carry-on sized bag (though we do check it when flying). When driving we each take a pillow too, and use 2 of the hotel pillows as well if they don't stink. It makes the hotel bed very similar to our bed at home, so we sleep very well.

We're not doing the towels even though at one point I thought about doing it. It's really just a matter of time spent in contact with them. If we had to sleep on them, we'd bring our own.

I still bag the remote.

Sorry fussy, this bizarre behavior is no less strange nine years later.

But we are all in your debt for having resurrected this ancient thread. New eyes are rolling all around the globe. Soon you'll go viral.

dogster, what's up with the hate? Did you even bother to read any of the prior posts from others? There are plenty who do take pillows or bedding or washcloths, and I see there were a couple of journalists who had taken interest in the topic. I'm wondering why you're so bothered by the practice, and why you're so bothered that anyone would discuss it. Control or anger issues, perhaps?

I know someone who travels with their "blankie" ... but that would be for a different reason than bringing your own bed sheet.

Just make sure we are all clear on this: using your own bed sheet will not elimiate bed bugs.

Considering some of the earlier posts (no I haven't read all of them, but quite a few early ones), I don't see why you're hitting on dogster. He could bite so much deeper if he tried.

I agree with a much earlier poster - if you have a problem with the sheets, complain! I did that in a Washington Best Western last fall, and was given a new room. In remote areas I carry a silk sleep sack in case complaining doesn't work, but I don't have room for sheets. And if I did have room, I think I'd pack something more interesting.

How this woman managed to find hate, anger and control issues in my last post is quite beyond me. The same way she finds germs everywhere, I guess. We are truly in the Twilight Zone.

My mother always travels with a silk sleeping bag that she just puts around or on top of whatever hotel linen is there if she doesn't like the look of it. Extremely thin, weighs next to nothing and takes hardly any space at all.

Even in a cheap motel, the sheets have been acceptable. We've seen ink stains, but nothing more. And in mid-level and high-level hotels, the sheets have always been high quality.

As for washcloths, we bring our own scrubby cloth. It exfoliates, holds a lather, dries quickly, and is long enough to let you scrub our own back thoroughly. weighs next to nothing and takes next to no room.

This is the most amazing thread I have ever seen. It has gone on for years. I was researching travel sheets for my 5'10 15 year old daughter who is vry picky. We are the family that travels everywhere but she doesn't like everywhere she sleeps so I have decided to just buy some travel sheets..Leaving in two days for my middle boys graduation at NYU....now if someone has a remedy to get rid of a stupid cold that would be great..thanks for the thread this was great got great info

Good thing that you are not an airline crew member-ah ,the hotels I have been to and the sheets I have had to sleep on.I wouldn't know where to carry all the extra bedding in my crew bag?