Ask The Experts

Starting point? The care label, obviously.

But seriously, here are some great tips for taking care of your bedding to ensure longevity and best care.

What to Avoid

• Avoid harsh liquid and powdered detergents. Rather use a milder detergent, less than your usual dosage, and allow it to dissolve in the water before adding the linen.
• Products that contain benzoyl peroxide or alpha hydroxy acids (like household cleaners or personal care products) can cause linen to discolour.
• If you do use bleach, make sure it’s non-chlorine.

Washing Frequency

• Sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers: every ten days or so.
• Linen that is not in direct contact with you (think quilts or throws) should be cleaned every three months.
• Pillows, duvets and mattress protectors– every three to six months.

Washing and Drying

• Utilise a cold wash cycle for Percale and Cotton sheets.
• Remember to only wash similar items together – the same colour and fabric – and never add clothing to a load of bedding because zippers, hooks, etc. cause pilling and abrasion.
• If using a tumble dryer for drying, set it to low heat, as overheating causes the fibres to become brittle. Remove the linen just before they’re dry. Slightly damp sheets will prevent wrinkles – no iron needed.
• After line drying, use a hot iron, and iron while slightly damp.

Protection
Bedding protectors help reduce the dust mite population and improve the lifespan of your products, whilst adding an extra layer of softness and comfort to your mattress.
A few simple practices can further protect your comforters:

• To reduce the amount of washed needed for your linen, shower in the evening.
• Never place the following items on your bed: luggage, handbags, smartphones, shoes or unwashed clothes. All of these items can damage your bedding or transfer unwanted oils and germs to the bed.
• Make your bed every morning, which not only improves your state of mind, but also keeps dust mites out and your bedding in good shape. Pillows in particular should be plumped daily to maintain their shape.

Folding and Storage

• Choose a storage area that is dry and cool, well-ventilated, and avoids direct sunlight (sunlight can cause permanent yellowing).
• Plastic containers trap moisture and result in mildew.
• Organise different sizes onto specific shelves to make identifying the right linens a breeze
• Before folding linens to store, make sure they are completely dry.

GSM is short for grams per square meter. Towels have a weight, and the standard measurement for the weight and quality of towels is grams per square meter. This magic number refers to the density of the towel.

Towels can vary anywhere between 300 GSM and 900 GSM. The higher the number, the heavier and thicker the towel. Below are a few examples of towel weights:

300-400 GSM – Towels in this range of weight, are light and thin. You might want a lower GSM. For example, a hair and nail salon usually use lower weight towels because they dry quickly.

400-600 GSM – These are medium weight towels which are ideal for hotels and guest houses, and what’s more, are exceptionally absorbent. These towels are usually also longer lasting as they are made to prevent pulling or snagging like the Nortex Snag Free towels.

600-900 GSM – Now we are into the premium, luxury weight towels. These towels will be denser and heavier. They will take longer to dry and might not ideal for most establishments especially in the winter months.

Other factors such as types of cotton, uses a polyester blend and whether the cotton is a single or double loop, also contribute to the towel’s softness and absorbency.

Whew, now when someone asks you ‘what is GSM?’ you now have the answer!

Linon procures and sells superior hospitality quality towels manufactured by Nortex which the largest terry towel manufacturing company in Southern Africa.

Click here to view our hospitality towel ranges.

Ask The Experts

The Linon collection of hospitality linen has be specifically tailored for the hospitality industry and has been developed by our team based on over 120 years of combined experience. If you would like to ask any of our experts about your establishments correct par level for bed linon or any other linen query, please give us a call on +27 87 550 0202 or email info@linon.co.za

After speaking with some our customers, we’ve come to the realisation that there is a lot of confusion about what a mattress protector actually does. Many don’t see why it’s a good idea to get one, especially if they have just bought a new bed. A mattress protector ensures that your bed does what it has to do, give you a comfortable, clean and restful sleep, every night.

In this post, we’ll be providing you with some of the features and benefits of getting hospitality quilted mattress & pillow protectors for your bed.

Keeps things clean

The fact of the matter is that our bodies are not kind to beds, not only do we perspire throughout the night, we also expel oils and shed dead skin cells as we sleep. These oils soak through the sheets, and penetrate your mattress and pillows, and are close to impossible to remove. Hospitality quilted protectors block these substances and can be removed and washed This means you get to enjoy a cleaner mattress and pillows for longer.

Keeps those allergies and dust mites at bay

Dust mites are one of the realities of a night’s rest. These little critters eat the skin cells you shed in bed. A good mattress and pillow protector will prevent these skin cells from reaching the dust mites. The result will be that you won’t have as many incidences of dust mite allergies. Dust mites are one of the most common indoor allergens. In addition to allergic rhinitis, dust mite allergy can also trigger asthma and flares of eczema.

Great for your warranty

Most mattress purchases have a clause in the warranty that voids it if there is a stain on the mattress. This means that if you accidentally spill something on your mattress, you’ll be stuck with it or have to buy a new one. A mattress protector will help prevent accidental stains and prolong your mattress warranty.

Extend the life of your mattress and pillows

Most importantly, a protector extends the life of mattress and pillows. By preventing stains and wear and tear from nightly use, you will save costs by not having to replace your mattresses or pillows sooner than you would like.

Linon quilted hospitality mattress & pillow protectors will keep your mattress clean, help prevent allergies, protect your mattress warranty and keep the mattress feeling “like new” for longer. They also enhance your sleep experience by providing extra comfort and breathability.

Ask The Experts

The Linon collection of hospitality linen has be specifically tailored for the hospitality industry and has been developed by our team based on over 120 years of combined experience. If you would like to ask any of our experts about your establishments correct par level for bed linon or any other linen query, please give us a call on +27 87 550 0202 or email info@linon.co.za

There’s nothing better than drying off with a fresh, soft towel. Your aim should be to give your guest that feeling every time they dry themselves.

Over time, even some common practices will damage your towels. Our Linon team of experts have put together years of accumulated knowledge to consider when caring for your hotel or guest house towels. These towel care tips will help you keep your towels feeling like new and provide comfort and absorbency for your guests during every use.

You Are Using Too Much Fabric Softener. Fabric softener decreases absorbency in towels. When towels lose their absorbency, they can get a waxy residue that will lock in odours, making your towels smell like mildew. While using it is okay, don’t overdo it and make sure to dilute with water. It’s also recommended to skip the fabric softener occasionally.

Don’t Over-Dry Your Hospitality Towels. Mildew can be the result of not properly drying your towels so you might be inclined to dry your towels on the highest setting possible for a longer period. This can cause the towel fibres to thin and cause your towels to lose its ability to absorb correctly. If you are using a laundry service, check up on the time and temperature they are drying your towels. They could be making a costly mistake they are making on your behalf.

Cycling Through Your Guest House Towels. For any hotel or guest house, it is vitally important to have enough sets of towels that you can rotate them properly. You’re going to use and wash towels more often with one or two sets; this causes the towels to lose their absorbency and softness faster than one would expect. This will give your guests a less than perfect drying experience.

Use Half The Detergent Amount. When washing towels, use half the detergent recommended for a regular wash. Too much soap can damage towels and lose their fluffiness. If you are washing luxury towels or extra delicate towels, be sure to use a detergent labelled mild.

Get Fabric Softener Alternatives. If you’re skipping the fabric softener, you’re still going to want something to keep your towels feeling soft. You can purchase some dryer balls or even use clean tennis balls. While your towels are drying, the balls will bounce around the dryer. As they do this, they get rid of lumps in the towels and help fluff them.

Let Your Guest House Towels Breathe. Just like us, towels need to breathe! This applies to all aspects of towel use. After you dry off, hang it up so it can dry. While hooks are okay, a towel bar is better because the towel can lie flat and air-dry evenly.

After you take them out of the dryer, consider hanging them on a clothesline outside. Bright sunlight and fresh air are fantastic ways to keep your towels smelling, looking and feeling like new.

How to Keep Your Towels in Your Guest House Linen Cupboard Fresh

One area that people tend to overlook is the linen cupboard. Your guest house towel storage space is just as important for keeping your towels fresh.

Give Your Towels Space. This might sound like good relationship advice but it works well for towels too. While you might want to keep all of your towels and linens in a cupboard, make sure you’re not overcrowding them. When there is poor air circulation, your linen cupboard can start to acquire an old, musty smell. Towels stay fresher and smell better when they have access to air.

Keep Your Guest House Linen Cupboard Dry. Your towels should be completely dry when you put them in the linen cupboard. Moisture can add to the musty smell and start bacterial growth in the dark spaces in the cabinet.

Rotate Your Guest House Towels. Put your clean towels under the towels that are already in the linen closet. This way, you’ll keep the towels rotating in the linen cupboard. Towels that sit for too long can get musty and stale. One easy way to keep track of your towel rotation is to use colour-coding on your towels care tags.

How to Repair Your Guest House Towels

If you think your towels are in need of some care, there are ways to bring them back to that newly purchased fluffy and vibrant state.

Get Rid Of That Musty Smell In Your Towels. Sometimes laundry detergent isn’t enough to get rid of the bad odour in a towel. If your clean towels still smell, then you can try a vinegar and baking soda rinse. This method will get rid of residue that can trap odours.

Load your towels into the washing machine and add a cup of vinegar where you usually put the laundry soap, no detergent is needed. Wash the towels in hot water. When that load is complete, leave the towels in the machine and add a cup of baking soda. Wash the towels in hot water again and dry them with a low heat. You will be amazed at the results.

New Towels Don’t Dry Well. Hospitality towels have a coating that makes them feel soft in the store and preserve the colour. Unfortunately, this coating also makes them less absorbent. You’ll notice an increase in absorbency after they’ve been washed and dried a few times. So, don’t worry that you bought dud towels, just give your towels time to lose this coating and they will soon start to provide comfort and absorbency for your guests.

Get Fresh, Luxurious Nortex Towels

Are you ready to get towels that are absorbent, fluffy and luxurious? Linon has ample stock of Nortex Snag Free White 485gsm, Nortex Snag Free 600gsm and Nortex Indulgence 630gsm. All you have to do is select the towel, size, range and you’re on your way to getting high-quality towels.

Ask The Experts

The Linon collection of hospitality linen has be specifically tailored for the hospitality industry and has been developed by our team based on over 120 years of combined experience. If you would like to ask any of our experts about your establishments correct par level for bed linon or any other linen query, please give us a call on +27 87 550 0202 or email info@linon.co.za.

Every guest house owner and manager knows that one of your major expenses is bed linen replacement. However, an adequate stock of bed linen is crucial to ensure smooth operations in housekeeping and it is critical to develop control procedures for the storage, issuing, use, and replacement of bed linen stock.

BED LINEN STOCK PROBLEMS

There are many problems you can encounter if you do not have the appropriate amount of bed linen include increased labour costs as more time and people are needed for laundry, greater wear and tear of bed linen making you have to buy bed linen more frequently, irritated guests who have to wait for cleaned rooms and worst of all, running out of clean bed linen.

On the other hand, you do not want an oversupply either. This practice is inefficient and uses up funds which are now tied up in an overstock of bed linen supplies. This is where a skilled manager can establish the correct par level for your guest houses bed linen requirements.

WHAT IS YOUR BED LINEN PAR LEVEL?

A par level refers to the number of bed linen sets a guest house currently has on hand. If a guest house only had one complete set of bed linen for every bed, that would equate to one par. For most guest houses in South Africa, you should ideally have three sets of bed linen on hand at all times, or three par.

One on the bed, one in the cupboard and one in the laundry.

3 is a magic number but sometimes the par levels do not need to be full sets. If your guest house is not at capacity for a prolonged period of time, you may want to invest in a 2 1/2-par system.

LAUNDRY CYCLES DETERMINE PAR LEVELS

The guest house owners and managers must think through the laundry cycle in terms of the guest house’s busiest day. When the guest house is at full occupancy for several days in a row.

A new guest house also has to consider whether the laundry is done in house or contracted out. If contracted out, you might need another par as it could take longer to replenish the bed linen cupboard. If your laundry room staff is in house and efficient, you can get away with less, but your bed linen is going to wear out faster.

OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER

The replacement of damaged, worn or lost bed linen should also be considered. Each guest house bed linen losses are different and you will need to determine a reasonable par level based on a your history.

Also consider emergency situations which we have become accustom to in South Africa such as a power failures and load shedding which may effect you and interrupt the continuous movement of bed linen through the laundry cycle. Washing and drying machine breakages should also be a consideration. In Cape Town the drought crises effects the way laundries operate by only washing full loads of bed linen.

You may decide to hold one full par of bed linen in reserve so that housekeeping operations can continue to run smoothly during any of these emergency situations.

However, whichever way you look at it, investing time into working out your guest house’s correct par level for bed linen stock is essential for labour costs, bed linen care and especially your guest experience. Each guest house is unique and has its own secrets of success, but by using best practices for setting par levels for bed linen can ensure your guest house’s operations run smoothly under any situation. A properly stocked and managed bed linen stock holding saves time, money and resources.

Happy Planning!

Ask The Experts

The Linon collection of hospitality linen has be specifically tailored for the hospitality industry and has been developed by our team based on over 120 years of combined experience. If you would like to ask any of our experts about your establishments correct par level for bed linon or any other linen query, please give us a call on +27 87 550 0202 or email info@linon.co.za.

It can sometimes be difficult to get a great night’s sleep, especially since we all lead such busy fast paced lives. A great night’s sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and so much more.

Here are our 6 top tips for getting a great night’s sleep.

Sleep on the perfect bed

It is no secret that a comfy bed and amazing bed linen helps you fall asleep. You spend up to a third of your life sleeping, over a lifespan, that’s more than 26 years! Investing in your bed and bed linen is a no brainer. But what makes the perfect bed?

It is very important to choose the right mattress! Some people sleep better on firmer mattresses, while others prefer softer ones. Take your time, ask expert dealers questions and advice, and try it out for at least 20min before you buy it. In short, choose the mattress that works best for you.

Also, by using a mattress protector, you help prevent agitating allergies while you sleep and keeps the mattress feeling in “like new” condition for longer. Extra benefits are that the protector keeps the mattress clean and helps guard your mattress warranty.

Make your pillow count

Do you wake up with a sore neck and shoulders? The secret to the right pillow is to make sure it keeps your head in alignment with the rest of your body. Feather and down pillows are some of the most comfortable but often they lose their shape and volume the older they get which causes a misalignment with your body and head.

Feather and down pillow can also irritate allergies in some people, so a great substitute is a high quality microfibre pillow. It has the same down like fluffy feel and is also an anti-allergy pillow that keeps its shape longer.

Good quality bed linen makes the difference

Why is bed linen so important for a good night’s sleep?

Well, if you are like me, then you love getting into fresh clean crisp sheets, it just gets me ready for a great night’s sleep. It is also important to get the right bedding because it helps keep you at a good temperature for sleep, so breathable materials like cotton can be a good choice.

Another great tip is to always ask for Percale fabric; it is closely woven fabric with a minimum of 180 thread count which gives it a smooth and luxurious feel. The golden rule for fabric; the higher the thread count, the softer the feel of the bed linen.

Unfortunately, 100% cotton sheets crease more easily and take time ironing to keep the bed looking good. For this reason, many people prefer Poly Cotton Percale which is a combination of polyester and cotton and is an easy-care linen fabric. Linon has brought in a Poly Cotton Percale linen fabric that is a 200 thread count, 60% Cotton and 40% Polyester blend which they believe to be the perfect compromise between comfort and easy-care.

Get into a routine

Perhaps one of the easiest and simplest tips to implement; getting into a bedtime routine. We all have our morning routines for getting ready and going to work, so why don’t we all have a bedtime routine as well?

Setting a bedtime, and most of all, sticking to it! This habit is vitally important for improving sleep quality. It allows you to set aside the recommended seven to eight hours a night, and helps regulate your body’s internal clock for optimised sleep quality.

Choose a bedtime when you usually feel tired, turn off the lights and set an alarm for 7 to 8 hours later. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally before your alarm, feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

Avoid blue light

Research has shown that blue light, emitted from our smartphones and other screens can interfere with the production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is an important chemical in the sleep-wake cycle, which helps your body regulate when you are tired.

Many of us fall victim to sleeping with the TV on, or scrolling through Facebook just before bed – this can have a serious impact on your night’s sleep, leaving you feeling groggy and tired in the morning. Try turning off all electrical items with a screen, at least one hour before bed time and notice the difference in your sleeping pattern.

Allow time to unwind

If you are working or have been busy just before bed, you may have experienced trouble nodding off to sleep. This is because our bodies need time to unwind. In the same way we need to cool down after a workout, our brains need time to relax and process the day’s activities before we sleep. We suggest taking a long bath if you are not from Cape Town. And for all Cape Town residents, maybe a nice cup of camomile tea 😊

Happy Sleeping!

Linon Customer Service

About Linon
Linon has over 120 years of combined experience in the hospitality linen and towel industry. They supply a full range of fabulous bedding items, from easy-care 200 thread count Poly Percale to crisp luxuriously soft 200 thread count & 300 thread count 100% Pure Cotton Bed Linen. Their Quilted Protectors also add a layer of softness to your mattress and pillows, Deluxe Microfibre Duvets & Pillows that feel like down and are non-allergenic. Transform your bed and guarantee a great night’s sleep.

Linon invites you to try their hospitality linen and towel and to see how Linon compares for service, quality, convenience and cost. Get in touch with the right people the first time. We look forward to assisting you.

Web: www.linon.co.za
Email: info@linon.co.za
Linon Hospitality Supplier

Uncompromising quality and great value. Our aim is to bring our range directly to customers at unbeatable prices.