Experts at the Sleep Council recommend changing your mattress every seven years to prevent it from becoming uncomfortable and unhygienic. Whilst we may listen to their advice in our own homes, do the places we pay to rest our heads also take notice?
Furniture Choice examined hotel occupancy stats for the last seven years and discovered that on average 1,891 people will have drifted off to the land of nod on your hotel mattress before you’ve even checked in.
If the thought of that figure gives you a sleepless night, then don’t venture to London where an average of 2,099.56 people will have slept on your hotel mattress before you.
Furniture Choice surveyed the UK to see how many of us sleep naked. Nearly one in four (23%) respondents admitted to sleeping in the nude, that’s an average of 537 naked bodies a single sheet away from your hotel mattress.
Head of Housekeeping, at a leading UK hotel chain who opted to remain anonymous, said: “On average we change our mattresses every five to seven years depending on how busy the hotel is; but we never leave it any longer, as by then the mattresses are ruined.
“There are some instances that require us to replace a mattress immediately, such as when someone soils the bed – urine permeates through a mattress, and in some cases we have seen it leak through the base and onto the floor!
“Dust mites can also be an issue, as they feed off dead skin cells thus making bed mattresses a prime habitat for them to live in. This is why it is important to protect a mattress with a cover to prevent infiltration.”
Furniture Choice surveyed UK residents to discover their own mattress habits. Over one fifth (21%) of respondents had not changed their mattress in over seven years. A further 43% said they’d never cleaned their mattress – with 14% of this group saying they don’t know how to.
Tom Obbard, director at Furniture Choice commented: “We often book a hotel stay for that extra little bit of luxury, but these figures give an indication of just how many people will have enjoyed that luxury before you!
“While over a fifth of us may leave it longer than recommended before changing our mattresses, the majority of us clearly enjoy the freshness and comfort of a mattress that’s still at its best.”
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