A well-made bed is the centrepiece of a guest room. Linen handling means stripping, carrying and storing linen hygienically. Many hotels also offer an evening turndown service to prepare the room for sleep.
Why it matters
Guests spot a crumpled sheet or a hair on a pillow at once. Careful handling also protects your health and prevents costly linen losses.
Key ideas
Stripping the bed
Remove linen piece by piece without shaking it, checking for guest items, stains and damage as you go.
Mitred corners
Also called hospital corners, these are sheet corners folded at a neat angle and tucked in firmly, so the sheet stays tight all night.
Turndown service
An evening visit to fold back the bedcover, close the curtains, dim the lights and refresh used towels.
Step by step
- 1
Strip the bed straight into the linen bag, never onto the floor.
- 2
Check the mattress protector for stains or damage.
- 3
Pull the bottom sheet tight and finish with mitred corners.
- 4
Fit the duvet cover so it hangs evenly on both sides.
- 5
Dress the pillows to the hotel standard and smooth the bed.
Do
- Bend your knees and walk around the bed instead of stretching across it.
- Keep clean and used linen apart at all times.
- Wear gloves for linen stained with blood or body fluids.
Common mistakes
- Don't put clean linen on the floor.
- Don't use torn or stained linen.
- Don't hold used linen against your uniform.
The situation
Stripping a checkout bed, you find earrings caught in the sheets and a small blood stain on a pillowcase.
What a professional does
You set the earrings aside for lost property. Wearing gloves, you bag the pillowcase as your hotel requires and check the pillow underneath.
Useful phrases
“Good evening, housekeeping. Would you like turndown service now?”
“I need two king-size duvet covers for room 508, please.”
Pro tip
Line up the centre crease of the sheet with the middle of the mattress, so it hangs evenly first time.
Quick check
Why should you never shake used linen?
Think about it, then show the answer
Shaking spreads dust, skin flakes and germs onto clean surfaces.