Back to bedding basics—functionality and comfort

Last year, the emphasis in beds and bedding was on style and luxury.
 
But this year, thanks to trends toward green and healthy living, and recessionary budgets, the focus is on more practical matters—zippered tops and casings to help keep mattresses out of landfill, and waterproof, stain-resistant anti-microbial protective fabrics that will protect the mattresses from many things, including bedbugs.

Hotel bedding suppliers are also looking carefully at measures that can save housekeeping departments, time, hassle and money.

“Patrons are a lot more health and cleanliness conscious,” says Keely Weinstein, who is responsible for marketing and products at Caber Distributors Inc. in Markham, ON.

“And now sites like TripAdvisor expose how dirty hotels can be.”  Which means that hoteliers are back to basics—taking care of sleepers and providing a clean room.

Foundations as furniture

Simmons has developed a new mattress system called EnduroTECH, which has taken the mattress foundation to the level of a piece of furniture rather than a throw-away item, says Steve Tipton, vice president Simmons Bedding Company Hospitality group.

It is both sustainable and renewable—it looks like a foundation but is more like a piece of furniture with a 10-year warranty and a 20-year lifespan. It uses all Canadian lumber which qualifies as sustainable under managed forestry initiatives.

Stain resistance

Simmons will be launching an exclusive collection of Simmons Beautyrest products using Crypton, a waterproof, stain resistant, anti-microbial treatment. While Crypton has been used by major suppliers in healthcare and upholstery fabrics, this is the first time it has been introduced for mattresses, Tipton says.  “It’s technically waterproof—water will not penetrate into the bed.  And it has the look and feel of a nice mattress,” Tipton adds.

No flip and easy flip

Serta, the number one hotel mattress supplier in North America with its Perfect Sleeper System, has the option of no-flip and easy-flip mattresses.

Mike Russell, director of contract sales for Restwell Sleep Products explains why his company also still builds mattresses both ways.  While some hoteliers like the never-turn mattresses because they’re easier on the housekeepers, “other general managers and property owners like the ones that can be used on both sides.  The upholstery has a lifespan, both sides of the mattress are paid for and they feel it gives the mattress a longer life.”

The Restwell Spring Air Back Supporter mattress has an innovative strong coil also allows for good contours and comfort.  Spring Air had the first pillow-top mattress, Russell says.
Restwell’s big news is how the mattresses are now supported.  They are now supported from the floor up.  Instead of “a cheap old frame with legs”, Restwell has eliminated wood or particle board where possible, using a steel pedestal base for its beds.

“It’s good for longevity—if used properly, it doesn’t break. The steel is recyclable, and the steel is not friendly to bed bugs, that would breed and lay eggs in the particle board.”

Another Restwell innovation is the all-steel box spring, which has all the same advantages as the bed frame.  “You’ll never have to buy a box spring again,” Russell said.

Strong mattresses

“We’re back to mattresses that really focus on comfort and support,” Russell adds. “They’re well-built, strong and comfortable.  For awhile, we got a little stupid with fat, squishy mattresses that looked like hell in five years.”

Zipped top designs

Steven Tipton, from Simmons, the people who make the Heavenly Bed, says that Generation 3 of the  Heavenly Bed, launched two years ago, uses a feature called EverNu, a zipped top designed so hoteliers can replace and recycle the top and keep the mattress out of landfill.

The top of the bed is usually good, but many good hotels have yet to address the mattress,” says Tipton.

“There is a serious opportunity for hotel companies to upgrade their mattress as well as the top of the bed.

Mattress encasements

Caber Distributors offers Aller-Zip mattress encasements, which prevent mould, bacteria and viruses from developing in the mattress and keep bed bugs out. But these products have other benefits according to Johan Bosman, the company’s hospitality channel director.

“A lot of people sweat and drool—and mattress protectors keep those things away from the mattress, saving money and extending the life of the mattress.

“Particularly in these economic times, you want a waterproof protector to extend the life and comfort of the mattress,” Bosman adds.

Aller-Zip also doesn’t absorb water, making a lighter load for housekeeping staff.

Novo Textiles Co. (formerly Comfy Covers Co.) located in Surrey, BC also distributes and manufactures protective bedding and other bedding accessories to the hospitality industry. “Mattress encasements are basically to protect the mattresses,” Jason Zanatta, president of Novo Textiles Co. explains. “You can spend $500 or $1,000 on a new mattress.  A full mattress encasement sends a very clear message to the customer, saying, ‘we are trying to protect you from bedbugs and dust mites, etc.’”

Restwell has a casement for box springs as well.

“You want a zippered, bug-proof cover, but you don’t want to sleep with a raincoat,” Zanatta says. Novo Textiles’ covers are made of stretch knit jersey with a breathable waterproof vacuum on all six sides.  “It looks and feels like a regular mattress,” Zanatta says.

He recommends having a casement over the mattress, and then a mattress pad over the top.  “You can still protect the bed with a regular mattress pad which costs about $15.”

Durability and value

“StaminaFibre duvets, pillows and synthetic featherbeds are wash durable and they really feel like down.  They are all about value,” says John Money of StaminaFibre, a division of FR Systems International. “They do not have to be sent off property to expensive dry cleaners, which is the case for down and feather products.  Instead, the can be cleaned in conventional laundry equipment.

“Of paramount importance, their down like properties will not be compromised (even after repeated wash cycles). When you amortize the cost of the StaminaFibre collection over its useful life, you have the most inexpensive bedding collection,” Money says.

“We recently had an e-mail from a hotel guest that stayed at the Holiday Inn Red Deer,” Money relates. “Barbara wanted to buy a StaminaFibre pillow after spending one night at the hotel. She had fallen and was nursing a bad  neck. What is so remarkable about this lady’s story is that she had been sleeping on a pillow that was nearly five years old.”

Duvets still popular

“Duvets are very important as the traditional bedspread is thought to be old fashioned,” says Money.

“Duvets are one way a property can make their hotel less institutional in feel. Our StaminaFibre duvet is special because it feels like down and it can be laundered.”

Henrik Londén of Toronto-based Londén Inc. also notes a big trend toward duvet covers and bed scarves and away from bedspreads.

Moving away from high thread counts

Hotels are getting away from the retail-based high thread count products, realizing that higher thread count does not mean better product,” says Neil Fowler, hospitality textile consultant at Standard Textile Co. Inc.

“There have been significant difficulties relating to processing and discard rates for these seemingly high end sheets. The product must enhance the guest experience but also be able to be handled by the laundry.
 
Standard Textile has been working to find the best solution in terms of the comfort required by the hotel guest and the rigorous processing requirements found in an institutional setting. “Our proprietary Centium Core Technology Sheet products under the names of Centima, Comfortwill, and Centium Satin, are quickly becoming the benchmark by which all other products are measured,” Fowler says.

Organic bedsheet

Londén Inc. carries a certified organic bedsheet, made with cotton from fields that have been free of pesticides and herbicides for three years. There is no chemical dye process.  “It’s more healthy,” Londén says. “When you think about it, you [normally] have no idea what has been sprayed on the fields.”

No-stress sheets

Londén also offers Zazen, a no-stress fabric bedsheet. It is made from 88 per cent cotton, 10 per cent polyester, and 2 per cent other fibres.

Here’s the theory behind it. Static electricity generated by the friction between the human body and the sheets can interfere with these bioelectric impulses which regulate the body’s activities, causing mental fatigue, corporal fatigue and muscular contractions, affecting sleep quality.

Studies by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, American Institute for Stress, The National Sleep Foundation, and the University of Atlanta into the quality of sleep based on the principle of electrical conductivity, show that the elimination of static electricity accumulated in the human body improves quality of sleep by more than 78 per cent.

The Zazen sheet is made with an anti-stress fabric with a warp and weft design which favours contact with the human body, and which, due to its high conductivity and earth contact, neutralizes the electrostatic charges which accumulate in the body during the day.

Gel-fibre blanket

Zanatta says people are more into the three-sheet system for bedding, and that Novo Textiles’ lightweight gel-fibre blanket is very popular this year.

“It’s a process that makes the fibre slicker, therefore producing a high quality fill that is high loft, and won’t clump, which adds comfort and support," says Zanatta.

Hypo allergenic pillows

Novo Textiles Co. has pillows which last for three years or 30 washes, made of StaminaFibre, which is “fundamentally superior to down”, as well as being hypo allergenic.
 
“With the increase in allergens and the necessity for properties to provide their clients with a clean, healthy sleep environment, hypo allergenic pillows offer part of the solution,” he adds.

RGO pillow

Caber Distributing, based in Markham, ON, emphasizes products that are green, health conscious and protect against dust mites and bedbugs.

They also distribute the RGO pillow, a visco elastic breathable foam pillow that conforms to the back, neck and shoulders, and is suitable for people with problems in those areas.

Pillow within a pillow

Standard Textile have added the Chambersoft Pillow that melds well with the Chamberloft Pillow that they have successfully placed with many hotels. “Essentially this is a pillow within a pillow and we have experienced rave reviews for this product and it is well positioned in terms of value for the market,” says Fowler.

In the very near future, Standard Textile are introducing their new “Integrated Top Cover”.
“This new product has received great reviews at recent hotel shows and is listed with some major brands as a new standard,” says Fowler. “We have woven in colour into the top cover and it provides the “wow” Factor, much sought after by the hotel, and is very value driven on the budget side.”

“In addition, we have recently introduced our Luxsoft Duvet Insert.  This is a well made product that we have received fantastic response to upon introduction to the market.”

Body pillows

Although StaminaFibre doesn’t have any hotel chains using their body pillow, they have sold thousands of these to hotel guests. “Happy hotel guests that fall in love with their pillow frequently visit our website after sleeping on our pillows,” says StaminaFibre’s John Money, adding that their website and toll free number are on the pillow label.

Aesthetics important

But with all the emphasis on eco-friendliness and functionality, aesthetics are still important.

Money sees “a heightened awareness for the room and more focus on the bed” as being a trend. “Nicer mattresses, more pillows, duvets, toppers etc. Anything to make the bed look bold, beautiful and inviting. The goal is to get the guest to open the door (for the first time) and say, ‘wow look at the bed!’”

Neil Fowler of Standard Textile notes that their Studio Collection of decorative pillows and bed scarves that came out late last year has been very popular.

“Hotels are continuing to look for ways of providing a “wow” factor for the bed.  One of the key benefits of our Studio Collection line is that the program is a core stocking program with no minimums in terms of order quantity.  This solves the problem of hotels ordering a custom program that carries with it a high minimum run to do an initial order and then the same on subsequent replenishment requirements.

“Further, our Studio Collection Line is made for the hospitality market; the fabrics are easily processed in the hotel laundry environment,” he says.

Productivity/efficiency

“The major trend that we see is one of productivity and efficiency in the room,” Fowler says.  “Standard Textile has developed a OneSTEP program that is really hitting home with many branded hotels as well as independent properties. The OneSTEP program stands for ‘One Solution to Enhance Productivity.’”

It includes pre-laundered sheeting and terry products, sheets that are colour-coded by size, the same 2-inch hems on the top and bottom of the sheets, labels in the centre of the sheet to help guide housekeeping staff, and top covers rather than time-consuming duvet covers.

“These top covers are heavier weight than a conventional top sheet and are significantly less expensive in terms of acquisition cost than a duvet cover and also easy to process,” says Fowler.

“Utilizing our Centium Core Technology these top covers are more durable than the conventional top sheet.”

Laundry efficiency

Laundry equipment can also help lengthen the life of hotel bedding.  High tensile strength loss, which translates into big linen replacement costs, is usually caused by over use of bleach, alkaline builders and improper souring agents, says Dan Goldman of Wascomat Laundry Equipment.
 
Excessive mechanical action, insufficient water levels and high bleaching temperatures are also culprits.
 
“Wascomat Clarus control and Compass control microprocessors offer the most precise programming over all phases of the wash process,” says Goldman. “Water levels can be set to the exact gallon, inch and bath temperature. Wash and extract speeds can be set for the exact RPM and the chemical dosages to the exact ounce of product. Electromechanical timers, card control and fixed programmers may be cheaper to buy but far more expensive in the long haul.”

In addition, both the Wascomat Clarus control and Compass control  can keep track of every wash load  used by individual wash programs over a monthly period.

Wascomat also offers the CMIS system which can be networked with washers, dryers and flatwork Ironers to print out daily reports on everything that should be monitored in a well run laundry. Excessive water costs, cycle times, erratic bath temperatures plus production figures are all logged and available for evaluation and correction.