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If you want to recreate the best night's sleep you ever had at a hotel but don’t have the budget to travel, Martin Seeley, CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay has shared the tips and tricks of the trade for a hotel-made bed at home.
1. Save time and money with a flat sheet instead of a fitted sheet
If you find that your fitted sheet is never deep enough or you’re breaking nails trying to fit it over your mattress, you should consider switching to a flat sheet. Hotels prefer this kind as they’re less likely to shrink, easier to fit and look more inviting, overall. If you’ve not used a flat sheet before, all you need to do is lay out the sheet, tuck the edges and sides - pulling tight - and leave the corners untucked. Then, you need to lift the sheet at a 45-degree angle and tuck the corners in tightly.
If you want more sheet to play with, go for the next size up on your flat sheet. This will make sure you can pull the sheets tight when making the bed.
2. Always tuck the corners of your duvet to prolong the life of your mattress
If you have ever stayed in a hotel, you’ll be familiar with the fight to get into the duvet as the corners are usually tucked under the mattress. This is done for several reasons.
Firstly, it naturally creates a neat appearance, like a neatly wrapped gift. Secondly, it helps the duvet stay anchored to the bed so once a person gets into bed, they can’t move around as freely and, therefore, create fewer wrinkles. Thirdly, it helps the flat sheet stay on the bed, preventing a person’s skin from contacting the mattress. This stops stains from appearing and shortening the mattress's life.
So, when putting a fresh duvet cover on, always make sure to tuck the corners. Lay the duvet flat on the bed, smooth out any wrinkles with your arm and place the top two corners at the top of the bed. Then, smooth your arm along with the duvet and tuck the end and the sides as you do this.
3. Water is the secret to wrinkle-free bedsheets, and vodka can remove any odours
Crisp, clean sheets are a staple for all hotel rooms. But, you can replicate that vision with some water, costing no extra to you. All you need to do is pull your sheets tight and spray water, and the wrinkles should go.
If you were to iron your bedding while it is on the bed, you could damage your mattress. Heat can particularly damage certain mattresses, such as memory foam mattresses and latex foam mattresses.
Did you also know that, due to its high alcohol content, vodka is known to be a natural cleaner? When left to evaporate into the fabric, it can eliminate any lingering odours. This, therefore, makes it an ideal addition to a homemade spray for spritzing your bedsheets in-between washes.
4. Buy a smaller duvet cover to make your bed more fluffy
Hotels use many bedscaping (like landscaping, but for the bed) hacks to make their beds as luxurious as possible. Firstly, they tend to use bedding with a high thread count as the higher, the softer. With this in mind, you should never buy bedding with less than a 250 to 300-thread-count mark.
Secondly, you should opt for Egyptian cotton as this is one of the most breathable bedding materials so will stop you from sweating at night which could disrupt sleep.
And finally, you should consider buying a different site duvet cover for your duvet insert. If you place a King-size duvet inside a Queen-size duvet cover, it’ll create a much fluffier bedscape. Similarly, pillowcases should be 1 to 2 inches smaller than the pillow insert.
5. Use a tennis ball and sock to make your lumpy pillows fluffy again
When making your bed feel like a five-star hotel, you should also fluff your pillows. Daily, you just need to pick it up and hold the left and right sides of the pillow and compress and decompress.
However, if you have a lumpy pillow, there’s another hack. Simply place it in the dryer with a tennis ball or two inside a clean sock. Turn the dryer on to the lowest setting possible and turn it on for 30 minutes. The tennis balls should beat the lumps out of the pillow, and the sock will prevent the dye of the tennis ball from appearing on your pillows.
If you want the volume of pillows, similar to that of a hotel bed, we recommend popping three on the bed.
6. Always air dry your sheets outside as the sunlight removes bacteria
Not only does using a tumble dyer make your bedding more wrinkly but it’s more expensive too. As one of the most energy-intensive appliances in your home, the costliest dryer can cost owners £175 per year. With this in mind, always hang your sheets outside and the creases should naturally fall out plus the ultra-violet rays of the sunlight will remove any bacteria and also bleach your sheets, which is extra beneficial for those with white sheets.
7. Wash your bedding weekly for optimum freshness
One of the secrets to crisp bedding is to wash it weekly. If you want to feel like you are sleeping in a hotel, you need to clean well.
Washing at 60 degrees is, usually, recommended for cleaning bedding and towels to kill bacteria. But, you will need a strong detergent as well, as the temperature alone does not kill bacteria. However, doing so can increase the cost of your wash by almost half than it would 40 degrees, so ensure you can afford the added cost.
For where to travel in the UK to get that all-important rest, we can reveal the best places to sleep in the country.
7 ways to make your guest room 5 star hotel worthy
Do you have family and friends flocking to your house over the Christmas period? Are you worried your spare bedroom isn't quite up to scratch? Follow these easy tips to have your guest room looking and feeling like a hotel room in no time.
1. Make budget-friendly welcome baskets
One of the best things about staying in a hotel is stocking up on all the freebies that come with the room. Even the smallest complimentary item can make your guests feel welcome and shows what a good host you are.
If you're on a budget, some simple bottles of water on the bedside tables are a nice touch, but if you can afford to go the extra mile, personalised guest baskets are a fabulous idea. Even these don't have to cost the Earth - simply fill a small basket or box with cheap toiletries and bath supplies, like a flannel, make up wipes, miniature shower gel and shampoo, an eye mask and even some sweets or nuts. Pop a chocolate on their pillow, too - this will really make the bed look hotel-worthy.
Not only will this be a fun surprise for your guests when they arrive, but it's practical too - it's much easier than rooting through your cupboards for some spare soap if they've forgotten to pack any! Pop the basket on the bottom of their bed, presented nicely on top of their guest towels for a sophisticated feel.
2. Take extra care when making the beds up
Taking just a few minutes extra to make the guest bed up nicely will go a long way. You don't have to invest in the fanciest Egyptian cotton sheets, but make sure the bed sheets and covers you do use are clean, fresh and crease-free. Hotels very often use white sheets because you can easily see how clean they are (and quickly spot when they're not) so do the same by investing in white covers.
It can be hard to get to sleep in a different bed, and you'll want your guests well-rested ready for festive fun. So if you can, invest in some lavender scented sleep essentials for their basket or bedside table. A lavender pillow spray can be spritzed onto their sheets to help them drift off, or add some lavender or chamomile tea bags to their basket for a before-bed soothing drink.
3. Add a chair to the room
If your guests are staying over Christmas, it's likely they'll only be staying a few days. It's unlikely they're going to want to unpack all of their clothes into your spare wardrobe, especially if you've got seasonal clothes stuffed in there!
When you stay in an actual hotel, you usually utilise the armchair in the room, draping clothes over the back rather than having the hassle of hanging them up, or popping your suitcase on it to save having to bend over to get things out. So make sure your guests have this option in your home too, by making sure there's a spare chair for them to use if they want to.
Having a chair for them to put their suitcase and bags will also prevent dirt and bacteria being carried over to the bed. Putting your suitcase on the bed is one of the most unhygienic things you can do in a hotel, so don't force your guests to have to do this when they stay at your house.
4. But make sure you provide coathangers
Some people like to dress smart for Christmas Day, especially if you're off to Church or going out for a meal rather than cooking at home. For this reason, make sure there's an area for your guests to hang up their suit or formal dress.
If your guestroom is big enough, you can even pop an ironing board and iron in there, too, like you might find in a hotel, so they can freshen their clothes after travelling. This will not only make your guests feel physically fresher, but amenities like an ironing board will make them feel more at home - and it's something lots of hotels offer their customers.
5. Go for a consistent theme
If you're styling a guest room from scratch and want to make it as hotel-luxury as possible, make sure to choose a simple, clean theme and stick to it. Whites and light colours connote freshness and cleanliness, which is what everyone wants when they're staying away from home.
White sheets and plump, soft pillows will not emulate a hotel bed, but will create a hygienic environment that immediately puts your guests at ease.
Of course, if you don't want your spare room to look exactly like a hotel room, you can add a touch of homely cosiness with a consistent theme. For example, choose a colour palette and add some decorative cushions, then match them to a throw and lampshade. Don't go overboard, as it's unlikely you'll be able to choose an intense theme that pleases everyone, but a few pops of colour here and there will add a nice, comforting touch.
Before you know it, you'll have an inviting, yet fresh, guest room that your friends and family will be excited to stay in.
6. Keep extra blankets and pillows on standby
In a lot of fancy hotels, you'll find pillows of different firmness in the top of the wardrobe for you to swap out if you prefer a different feel. Offer the same to your guests - after all, it's difficult to know their exact preferences - and keep some spare pillows under the bed or in the wardrobe for them to opt for whatever they'd like.
Similarly, keep extra blankets and throws handy, so they can layer up if they get cold in the night. Lots of people are hot sleepers, so might only want a thin blanket, but in the winter it's a good idea to give your guests the option to snuggle up.
By accommodating your guests' needs, they'll see you as a superstar host, as well as get a personal, generous touch that surpasses hotel style luxury.
7. Keep the room stocked with towels - but stay out
You should also make sure you've put enough towels in the room for your guests' stay - it's unlikely they'll have brought their own with them, and don't let them feel awkward by asking you to borrow one. If they're only staying a few days, leave at least two bath towels in their room, so they can access a fresh one if they want to. You should also leave some various sizes of towels out, as your guest might wish to have a separate one for their hair or face.
If you find a moment where you can go and collect the used towels and replace them for clean ones, then do so, but don't enter the room unless absolutely necessary. Entering the room your guests are staying in can feel invasive and uncomfortable.
Certainly don't start knocking on the door asking to come in and straighten the room out - you're not housekeeping! They might not feel comfortable asking you to leave as they would with a maid at a hotel, so just give them their space and clean up once they've gone.
