Who's Sleeping in my Bed?

I'm a very clean person by nature and may or may not suffer from mild Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I like for everything to be in the right place and to be done the right way. Along with this OCD comes traces of anxiety and worry from time to time. I'm kind of a mess! One such episode of anxiety came the first time I slept in the bed at our first vacation rental home, Once Upon a Stream.

I don't know about you, but the thought of other people sleeping in my bed really freaks me out. When we got into this business, one of the challenges that I had to personally overcome was the idea that someone before me had slept in the same bed and used the same sheets, pillows, blanket, quilt and so forth. I couldn't stop thinking about what else had gone on in the bed I was about to sleep in before we got there.

But I Sleep in Strange Beds All the Time

Throughout all the years of traveling for work and after spending hundreds of nights in hotel rooms across the country, never once did this notion of "someone else slept in this bed" really bother me. So why now? Why did this feel different and bother me so much? The only difference was that it was actually my bed in my house. I owned it. Those were my sheets. Those were my pillows. That's my blanket covering me. So why was this such a big deal?

Look, most of you reading this may have never thought about this as a potential hurdle to overcome when buying a vacation home. But if you're like me, this was a scary thought. You need to consider the fact that strangers are going to be doing God knows what in your bed when you're not there. Oh the horror! Never mind the mortgage and all the additional responsibilities that come with owning a second home- that's small peanuts compared to this! What really kept me up all night was obsessing about the activity that took place in the bedroom when I wasn't there. This was a real problem for me, people.

It's No Different Than a Hotel

I mentioned earlier that I'm somewhat of a clean-freak and have done a fair amount of business travel. In full transparency, I am somewhat of a hotel snob and will only stay at certain national hotel brands. So, I don't have much experience with the less than desirable roadside motels- you know, the type with doors opening to the parking lot, neon signs, and the ones that still advertise "free HBO." Those types of places may or may not change the sheets after each guest.

After considering the fact that I sleep in strange hotel beds all the time and have never really thought twice about it, I came to the following realization. I just needed to look at my bed as being no different than the beds in higher-end hotels. After all, I controlled the housekeeping procedures and was confident that my cleaning team was following protocol. Now that I've got my head on straight about this, I don't really worry about the unknown anymore.

Tips for Keeping Beds Sanitary

We bought our first vacation rental house furnished. However, it hadn't previously been used for vacation rental purposes which meant that it was lacking in some key areas. Since we were new to the whole vacation rental thing, we began using the linens and bedding that came with the house. Every bed had different color sheets. The pillows were all mix matched and without protective covers. Some of the beds had custom-made heavy quilts and others had comforters that would be difficult to clean. None of the beds had blankets. My housekeeper advised me that we needed to make some changes. Here are some tips we learned that I'd recommend for your beds:

• Mattress protectors- get the waterproof kind (but make sure they aren't crinkly-sounding) and periodically wash them. I find that Amazon was the best place to shop for this stuff.

• Pillow protectors- put on every pillow, including the shams. Get the ones that are zippered and also sweat and moisture proof, and wash them periodically.

• White sheets only- it probably goes without saying that you should use bleach when washing your sheets. It's probably not a coincidence that nearly every hotel out there uses all white linens. In fact I don't recall ever sleeping in a hotel room with colored sheets- they are always white.

• Blankets and Quilts- use light weight blankets for warmth and decorative quilts or coverlets if desired. We don't recommend comforters because they are harder to wash and keep clean. Typically, the blankets don't get laundered on every turnover but that is your decision to make. This may sound crazy, but through my research I've found that it's not customary to wash blankets after every use. It will add considerable cost to your cleanings if you do, and will most likely need to be done offsite due to capacity and time constraints for same-day-turnover cleanings. You'll also need two sets- one to leave on the beds, and one for your cleaners to take with them to wash. As a general rule, we recommend you wash them every few guests, or as visibly needed.

• Duvet and Duvet Cover- If you choose to go this route instead of blankets, get a lightweight duvet cover that's easy to wash. Something that resembles two sheets sewn together that can be easily washed with the sheets. It's probably best to stick with white so it can be bleached. Again, this is pretty standard in most hotel rooms.

If You Still Can't Get Over It

Still not convinced that there's nothing to worry about? Here's what I'd recommend. Keep a fresh set of sheets, pillows, and blankets (just for you) in your locked owner's closet. Strip the mystery bedding when you arrive for your own vacation and replace with the "safe" bedding. Then wash them before you leave and have your housekeeper replace with the "rental" bedding.

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Give Us Your Feedback

These are ideas that we have found to work well. But, there's always more than one way to skin a cat as they say. Let us know how you'll manage the thought of someone else sleeping in your bed. We'd also love to hear your best practices for keeping the beds sanitary at your short-term vacation rental property. Please SUBSCRIBE by clicking here and share this post. And as always, I welcome your comments and questions below! You can also drop me a note at info@StartAVacationRental.com.