We are getting ready to stay in a hotel for one night to move our college graduates stuff home. I plan to bring my own pillow as I got to wondering how many others might have breathed into the hotel pillow for 8 hours or more (And whether there could be Covid-19 germs resting in there) and then wondered about washing pillows after each guest stay. Is everyone doing that after guests? If not, what are the hygiene steps you are taking? Are those allergen-proof covers really a barrier?
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No, I don’t wash pillows. My pillow are shredded foam in a zippered quilted cover. Over that I put two zippered pillow covers, kind of a cheaper, old, (maybe stained lol) one and then a nicer damask one. Then the pillow case over that. Only the first two layers get washed. As for covid, I don’t know if the virus can go into several layers of cloth and then stay in the foam and live, but I think not.
I’m not hosting now but if I were I would just have spare pillows and rotate them.
It’s illegal for our hotels (along with our STRs) to open at the moment because of the risk of infection and no travel orders in the UK, so I have to say I hadn’t given much thought to the risks of travel.
We can’t host so no hygiene steps to take here at the moment.
Have you looked at the advice Airbnb have provided on their website for hosts to prepare for guests at the moment @Atlnative
Yes, I have looked at the guidelines and pillows are not mentioned explicitly but if you consider them soft or part of the bed linen, then it would seem to suggest that yes, you do wash them. I can’t imagine spraying disinfecting spray INTO the pillow as the alternative.
7. Don’t forget about sofas, rugs, drapes, and other soft, porous surfaces. Carefully remove any visible dirt or grime, then clean with the appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. If possible, machine-wash items according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Wash all linens at the highest heat setting recommended by the manufacturer. That includes bed sheets, mattress covers, hand and bath towels, kitchen towels, and blankets. Remember to wear gloves when handling dirty laundry, and take care to avoid shaking laundry, which could increase the spread of germs.
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Thanks, I guess rotating is probably the best option, and several layers of protective coverings that get washed. We are not hosting either right now, but if and when we do, we’ve already put a minimum of three days in between the guests who are booked.
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Most pillows have tags that say they are washable, but they are not intended to be washed often. I don’t think I’ve ever had a pillow that made it through more than a dozen washings before it felt “old”. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you may end up replacing a lot of pillows and you’ll need to consider that in your pricing.
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I’m using a bedbug cover, a pillow cover, and a pillow case that all get washed. I thought about washing the pillows but but instead I’m rotating them out between guests. I also removed all extra pillows and even the curtains. (I have blinds).
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I use protective pillow cases that are a combination of cotton and plastic. After guest departure, I wash the protective cases along with the pillow cases and sheets. I also spray the pillows with Lysol before putting back on the washed protective cases. I think that washing the pillow itself would cause a lot of wear and tear. I like to get at least one year out of them.
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I have quilted pillow protectors that are 3 layers of cloth- the outside layer, the dacron batting, then the thin inner layer. Those normally get washed between guests.
I’ve never had luck washing any pillows except for feather pillows- Those wash up fine, I line dry them, fluffing them up as they dry so the feathers don’t get lumped together, then finish off with a quick dry in a dryer. I might wash the pillows themselves once or twice a year. Pillows with synthetic filling usually just get lumpy when you wash them, and can’t be made nice again.
Putting things you can’t or don’t want to wash in a dryer, on high heat, will sterilize them- it isn’t necessary to wash them first. A hot dryer will also kill parasites like bed bugs, head lice and scabies. When my kids were young, this was a common method for the latter two when such things went around the schools or got passed around from sleep-overs. Pillows, stuffed animals, etc, just got thrown in a hot dryer to kill the little buggers and their eggs.
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I suppose Lysol then letting them sit for a week as part of the rotation could work. I’m particularly sensitive to smells and so spraying any chemicals Onto a pillow makes me break out in hives. Still, if they aren’t treated somehow I don’t think that’ll do.
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It’s hard to find now but Lysol makes a liquid spray disinfectant that is free of fragrance. I have 1 container left and I can’t find anymore in the stores or online right now.
Somehow I don’t think breathing Lysol residue is a great idea.
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I’m not hosting either. I have pillow protectors and before this virus would put the pillows in the dryer for 30- 45 minutes on high. That seems to kill any smells that made it through the covers and the heat should kill any viruses.
If I host again, I’ll rotate pillows.
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I actually just read an article today that there are getting to be a lot of cases of people developing health problems since the pandemic cleaning measures, from using and breathing all these harsh disinfectants.
No way would I want to sleep on a pillow that had been sprayed with Lysol. Dryer sheets are bad enough 
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I air them out and I I also have extra pillows. I block two days in between stays so I can clean and sanitize everything. I’m a bit OCD. LOL
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How did you decide on two days?
You guys are gonna love this. There was a post today on the CC re the new cleaning protocols, where the host first stated that she has always been “fanatical” about cleaning. By way of illustrating this, she says she washes the mattress pad, blankets and duvet covers biannually, so finds the new cleaning directives way over the top.
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I decided on two days because, unfortunately, takes me that long to clean from top to bottom plus the outdoor space. It’s a whole house rental. I swear that just washing all the comforters, linens and towels takes me a day : ( That’s why now I only do five night stays or longer because it’s too much work.
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It takes me almost 2 hours just to clean the guest room/bath in my private room home-share (and the majority of my guests leave it quite clean and tidy), then another hour to make sure my kitchen, that I share with guests, and outside areas are clean, so I can easily imagine it taking me 2 days to clean a whole-house rental.
I’ve always had a 1 day prep time, even though I could turn it around in a few hours. But I didn’t go into hosting to rush around stressed out, so it was the best choice for me. And I’ve never charged a cleaning fee, so I have a 3 day minimum to make that viable for me.
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So we checked into the Fairfield hotel (Marriott property for those who may not know the brand.) The pillows on the bed are in a pillow case, that’s it. Hmmmm 
I asked the front desk clerk how they clean their pillows and she didn’t know, said to ask the maids tomorrow. So I will and will report back. Think I will be glad we brought ours from home. Btw, there are 3 other guests in the entire hotel. The state just lifted its stay at home orders so it’s not all that surprising.