cotton sheets

What Makes Good Quality Hospitality Sheets for Short-Term Rental Properties

The primary goal for any property in the hospitality industry is to provide their guests with a comforting and enjoyable experience during their stay. This includes providing good bedding, amenities, and other accessories that will help improve the overall experience. Short-term rental properties are quickly becoming a popular trend for travelers, so it is important that they have the best possible linen and lodging options to remain competitive. Industry experts have been discussing some of the best sheet characteristics for these properties.

Continue reading What Makes Good Quality Hospitality Sheets for Short-Term Rental Properties →

How to Get Blood Out of Sheets

Housekeeping getting blood out of sheets

As stains go, blood is one of the worst.

It’s easy to see a blood stain and feel like Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, driven to the brink of madness by that spot that…just…won’t…come…out.

But getting blood stains out of hotel bed sheets doesn’t have to feel like an impossible task. Whether the stain is fresh or has had time to soak in overnight, there are numerous methods for restoring your sheets to pristine condition.

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Beware of Chlorine Bleach & Fabric Softener

Do not use Chlorine Bleach on your sheeting or towels as it will cause fading and discoloration. It breaks down and permanently weakens the cotton fibers. It is important to ensure that your linens do not come in contact with face creams or toothpaste as these may leave stains on your towels or sheets. All stains need to be treated properly before they are put into the washer and dryer. If a stain is not caught before it hits the washer and dryer, the stain will set. Try to use makeup remover towels to remove makeup such as our InnStyle makeup remover towels or Facial Wipes (you will save many towels, washcloths and pillowcases if using these). When washing your linens, use an oxygen-based product or a product without a brightener and fragrance to wash the linens. Brighteners in washing detergents can leave white spots. Oxygen based products are safe for use on almost all washable fabrics including color fabrics. When using an oxygen-based product, the chemical ingredient oxidizes to help remove soil and organic matter brightening the fabric and removing stains without taking out the color of the fabric.

Fabric softener is also Not Recommended!! Fabric softener is designed to coat fibers in oils, waxes and fragrances that might make the fabric feel soft but the build-up of chemicals can damage the fabric and make it less absorbent. In addition, fabric softeners clog the pores of cottons including Egyptian cotton . This applies to any sheeting or toweling. It prevents the cotton from breathing and it decreases the luster and gloss of the appearance. High quality Cottons including Egyptian cotton linens do not need to be treated with fabric softener. The Cotton will become softer naturally, without fabric softener, after repeated washings and dryings.

The InnStyle staff would be happy to go over proper care of our fine linens with you. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Cotton Sheeting

How long should my bed sheets last?

Cotton Sheets from InnStyle — 310 Cotton Sateen Sheets

This is a question asked frequently by both our innkeepers and by our customers for home use.

For home use & hospitality use, with proper care, fine bed linens (depending on the sheets you purchase-this is why I state “fine linens”) can last for many years. It is best to alternate the use of each set on a weekly basis for home use. For innkeepers, of course, sheets need to be changed each time a guest checks out and a new guest arrives. Innkeepers will find that most sheets will need to be replaced sooner (than a homeowner) depending on how often their turnover is of guest occupancy in their properties. Three sets of sheets for each bed is a good guideline to follow for hospitality and for your home: one on the bed, one in the wash, one in the closet. In between each use, launder and store your linens in a well-ventilated space. For best results when laundering, use a non-chlorine bleach and a gentle liquid detergent. Wash on a gentle cycle with warm water. Tumble dry until slightly damp. Over drying or drying on too hot a setting is the single biggest factor in reducing the life of your sheets.

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Add a Gift Shop to Your Inn

All Cotton Sheets — Your inn’s comfortable sheets are a great item to sell in your gift shop.

If you are an innkeeper and you have a shelf or a corner of a room in your property, you should consider using this space for a gift shop. Gift shops are a great way for innkeepers to earn a little extra income. You do not need a lot of space, just a small area in which you can display some products that you may currently be using in your inn. Many of our innkeepers have been using our InnStyle 600 Wrinkle Free Sheets for the beds in their bed and breakfasts or inns. Their guests love these sheets, comment how wonderful they are to sleep on and want to purchase them. On a shelf, a set of sheets can be displayed with a list of sizes and prices. You can take orders to be shipped direct to your customer by InnStyle. It really is that easy!

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Sheet Terms: Egyptian Cotton vs. Pima Cotton (With Bonus Info on Thread Count)

You’ve probably seen the terms on the labels: Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton, various thread counts. You may be thinking to yourself, are these just marketing terms or do they have meaning that you should know before you buy. Let us break these terms down for you so that you know what you’re purchasing.

Egyptian cotton

This term refers to a particular type of cotton that is grown in Egypt. This is an extra long staple cotton. Long staple cottons are known for their smooth glossy finish and their luxurious feel. As a general rule, longer cotton creates a more comfortable finished product than those made with shorter staple cottons.

Continue reading Sheet Terms: Egyptian Cotton vs. Pima Cotton (With Bonus Info on Thread Count) →

Wrinkle Free Sheets Everyone Loves

There is something luxurious when you slip in between cotton sheets. We think it is because nature designed the perfect fiber for softness and comfort. The finer characteristics of cotton have been praised for thousands of years, and today cotton is synonymous with quality, comfort and beauty.

Softness
The unique shape and dimensions of cotton fibers naturally result in softness.
Year Round Comfort
Cotton bed linens keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Launders Beautifully
Cotton releases soil easily so bed linens was clean and smell fresh throughout their wear life, and cotton sheets become even softer through washings and use.

Our most popular sheet is one that we manufacture and have been offering for over eight years, a 600 Pima Cotton Wrinkle-Free Sheet that innkeepers and their guests both love! There have been many articles written praising this sheet. Guests will come to the innkeeper asking if she/he has been ironing the sheet when they, the guest, are out for the day. That is how nice the sheet looks and feels on the bed! There is nothing better than sleeping on a 100% pima cotton sheet and being wrinkle-free certainly adds to the attractiveness to both the innkeeper and to the guest!

Here is what our Innkeepers say about these sheets:

Fig Street Inn ~ We have missed the 600TC wrinkle free sheets.

Boathouse Bed & Breakfast ~ These are the best sheets. Our guests love them and glad that they are back.

The Inn Style Wrinkle Free Sheets always had a nice sturdy weight, never puckered, and kept their sheen. That weight contributes to the quality, wrinkle resistance, and makes these sheets unique among all I have tried.

I was very happy to see the return of this item (wrinkle free sheets). We received a sample pillowcase last week, washed it, then washed it again, ran it through the dryer each time. Each time it came out beautifully. Finally we have our sheets back!!

~Dennis Ynclan – Owner Daytona Ocean Front Rentals & Sales, LLC

Thank you . . .we love the sheets at a fraction of what we had paid. . .I greatly appreciate having you to talk with about our needs and then being able to to focus our purchases in a “one stop shopping” manner. Your personal attention to our requests is outstanding.

~Dan and Robbi Boone, Owners – Alamo Street Victorian Inn

To order these 600 thread count wrinkle free sheets, or any fine linens you see on our website, give us a call at 1-800-977-4667.
Customer attention and satisfaction is our hallmark.

The Beauty of Wrinkle-Free Sheets

Excerpts from Online Shopper
The New York Times
By MICHELLE SLATALLA
Published: March 22, 2007

“To get to the bottom of the mystery of wrinkle-free fabric that stays wrinkle-free, I phoned Cotton Inc., a trade organization, which researches fiber as part of promoting the interests of cotton growers.”

“To get wrinkle-free sheets, the fabric should be finished the same way as for wrinkle-free khakis or wrinkle-free cotton shirts,” said Lee Snyder, the associate director of technology implementation, who has been working on specialized wrinkle-free finishes for Cotton Inc. since 1974.

Continue reading The Beauty of Wrinkle-Free Sheets →

Cotton & Thread Count

When considering cotton sheets, you should consider more than just thread count. Thread count is a measure of the number of yarns woven into one square inch of fabric. Thread count is important, but is only one part of the story. The quality of a sheet is determined by other key components as well, but it all starts with the quality of the fiber itself and the yarn from which it is made.

One of the world’s finest cotton is grown in Egypt. Egyptian cotton is renowned because it yields a long-staple cotton. The quality of the yarn is largely a function of the length of the staple or cotton fiber. This is because long-staple cotton can be spun into a smoother, stronger, much finer yarn so that it is possible to weave more threads per inch into the fabric resulting in a higher thread count. Many inferior, short-staple cotton yarns can be jammed into a square inch to create a higher thread count, but the resulting fabric can feel heavy and coarse–compared to a soft fine hand of an Egyptian or Pima cotton.

Pima Cotton is another fine cotton. Both Egyptian Cotton and Pima Cotton are made from premium cottons known for softness and luxury. Pima Cotton is an extra long staple cotton grown mainly in the southwestern U.S. These fibers are woven into a softer and more durable fabric than shorter cotton yarns. Pima Cotton is also known as Supima Cotton (which is a brand name).

After the finest cotton has been selected, spun and woven into cloth of the very best quality, the process doesn’t stop there. Finishing it can also dramatically affect the feel and the quality of the final product. Attention to detail continues into the fabric finishing and sewing which can also dramatically affect the feel and the quality of the final product.

Most all cotton sheets are mercerized-a process that helps plump the fibers, giving the fabric greater luster. When using a state of the art finishing process, it will bring out the subtle sheen of a sateen, the softest nap of cotton, the richest longest-lasting colors and enhances both the feel of the fabric and the quality of the weave.

When purchasing a luxurious Egyptian Cotton or Pima (Supima) Cotton sheet, you will notice the difference from a sheet claiming to be a high thread count. Again, the true quality of a cotton sheet is how it is grown, it’s construction and finishing process. Many sellers of sheets may claim on their packaging that it is a high thread count, Egyptian cotton, etc., beware of the small print as there are products with false labeling in the marketplace. In the small print, you will see that it states “feels like Egyptian Cotton “ and list a high thread count but in most cases, it is an all polyester product – not cotton.

Remember, you get what you pay for and when you pay a little more for your cotton sheets you get a much better quality!

InnStyle Representative to Attend 2013 Innkeeping Leadership Week

The Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII), the group dedicated to the education, information, networking, advocacy, business opportunities and research relating to the innkeeping industry, will be hosting “Innkeeping Leadership Week” on
April 15 – 18, 2013, in Charleston, South Carolina.

PAII provides continuing education programs in many formats, the largest being the annual Innkeeping Conference & Tradeshow, where experienced innkeepers are challenged and new innkeepers brought up to speed at events featuring dozens of workshops, nationally known experts, and the industry’s largest trade show.

But learning extends far beyond the annual conference and include such opportunities as interactive Webinars; weekly and monthly e-newsletters; Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ) (the industry’s only magazine exclusively serving the needs of the professional innkeeping community); and a variety of areas on the Website (http://www.innkeeping.org/) most notably the Online Forums, which bring an invaluable interactive exchange that benefits both posters and readers alike.

2013 Innkeeping Leadership Week is another of the many and varied learning opportunities for innkeepers. The agenda of this event includes:

Monday, April 15th: 9:00am – 5:00pm – Key Leaders Retreat and Innkeeping Leadership Banquet – “Getting B&B Associations on the Right Track” – Workshop Facilitated by Bob Harris, 6:00pm – 7:00pm – Cocktail Hour, 7:00pm – 8:30pm - Innkeeping Leadership Banquet.
Tuesday April 16th: 9:00am – 5:00pm – Advisory Council Meeting (includes PAII board members), 6:30pm – Advisory Council and PAII Board Dinner
Wednesday April 17th: 9:00am – 12:00 pm – Advisory Council Meeting, 12:00pm – 5:00pm – PAII Board of Directors Meeting, 7:00pm+ – PAII Board Dinner
Thursday April 18th: 9:00am – 12:00pm - PAII Board of Directors Meeting

For information or to register visit http://www.innkeeping.org/event/leaders or contact Michele McVay at Michele@paii.org.

As part of the Advisory Council, InnStyle will be attending this event. InnStyle has been the source for innkeeper supplies and linens at wholesale pricing since 1952. Offering a wide variety of inn supplies including sheets, towels, blankets and much more.

Contact InnStyle for your fine linens and Personal Service at Wholesale Pricing. Or call 1-800-877-INNS (4667).