Hotel towels and bed linens washing: industry insiders can't bear to look
Release Time:
2014-04-15 14:39
Source:
China News Service
Industry Insider Reveals: Hotel Linen Washing "Water is Very Cloudy"
When on business trips or traveling, we all inevitably stay in hotels or inns. But do you feel assured using items like bath towels in these places? Towels, bath towels, bed sheets, quilts, pillowcases, etc., used in hotel rooms are collectively called "linen" in the hotel industry. According to CCTV reports, insiders revealed to reporters that in Quanzhou, Fujian, there are many irregular and unhygienic practices in hotel linen washing. Some washed items do not meet hygiene standards at all, and some washing factories are so dirty and chaotic that the situation is shocking.
Hotel towel and bed sheet washing: industry insiders can't bear to look
Lao Zhang is from Anxi and has been engaged in hotel linen washing for more than six years. He told reporters that whenever he travels and stays in a hotel, he always brings his own full set of towels, bath towels, and even bed sheets because he believes hotel linen washing is unreliable. If washed strictly according to standard procedures, the cost of washing one bed sheet is at least 0.5 yuan more than others, making the price for a room nearly 2 yuan higher than competitors. Most hotel owners place orders based on price; if the price is too high compared to peers, they cannot survive. To gain a competitive edge, Lao Zhang usually offers washing prices 0.1 to 0.2 yuan lower than others, but linens washed at lower prices cannot meet standards. Lao Zhang said that ordinary guests cannot tell whether the linens in hotel rooms are clean; only professionals understand. There is no industry standard for linen washing; everyone works based on conscience. Some owners have no bottom line in pursuit of profit. Some factories even wash towels and floor mats together without sorting, wash everything together, sometimes without using high temperature, washing once in cold water but claiming to wash three times in hot water, then casually ironing and delivering to hotels. Also, washing materials are chosen based on the cheapest available.
Reporter’s undercover visit: small washing factories are dirty and chaotic
Is the situation really that serious? How many unknown secrets exist in linen washing? After 9 p.m., reporters visited a washing factory near the Yingbin Hotel in Quanzhou city, Fujian. More than a dozen machines were operating, and freshly received linens were casually piled in a corner. The scene was somewhat messy; workers did not wear uniforms, and the environment was poor. When picking up a cleaned pillowcase, stains that were not fully cleaned were still visible. Through undercover visits to multiple linen washing factories, reporters found many hygiene irregularities and significant price differences. For example, washing a set of towels, bath towels, bed sheets, quilts, and pillowcases for a hotel double room costs between 4 yuan and over ten yuan on the market.
Industry insiders explained that washing appears to have a low entry barrier; anyone can start by investing around one to two million yuan to open a washing company. Many think there is no technicality involved and that the low threshold allows easy operation, but this is not the case. Environmental protection, hygiene conditions, hardware facilities, and management software facilities are many aspects that are hard to meet. Hotel linen washing has strict regulations and standards. From the moment linens enter the washing workshop, there is a standardized process to follow. From entry to folding and packaging, there are strict procedures. Some small washing factories cut corners in this critical washing step to reduce costs. Reporters later visited local health supervision departments, but staff said they have withdrawn from direct supervision of hotel linen washing since 2004 and can only manage indirectly through hotels. The industry and commerce bureau staff said it is now very easy to register a washing factory.
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