My days as a housekeeper and what really goes on
By bonnie
@bunnybon7 (50973)
Holiday, Florida
September 26, 2016 11:35am CST
posted @LadyDuck about worrying about the cleanliness of hotels/motels. Well I know first hand about such things. A lot has to do with the person that cleaned your room and your supervisor .
Some places are short handed trying to save money and give us (maids) way to many rooms first of all. You have to get these done or you don't get off at reasonable time, when everyone else supposed to.
The stories I could tell. 
anyway, I was really fast working so I usually got mine done ahead of time. There are what they call "short cuts" but I never used them as I know how I would feel if sleeping in a nasty room. They had a phrase "stretching sheets" which some used to go faster. It means just not changing but smoothing them out and make it neat. I always felt that it took just as much time to do that anyway. so never done it. I changed them. all.
Sometimes the faster ones would help others with their rooms. One place, there was a young girl that just never seemed to be done with several rooms left at quiting time. I started helping her for several days , trying to teach her how to get faster.
about the second week of this, I gave up and was waiting quit time in the break room with others, when one girl looked over at me and said, "what? your girl is still with 3 rooms to do"
teasing me about helping. so, yes I broke down and did it. She got let go after that second week. Its okay I felt to do it now and then, help, but not every day.
I worked for several places well known names motels. and would you believe most said Don't change the bed spread unless it smells or has a large stain!
no choice as we don't always do the laundry also. That's why, I always remove the spread, take my own pillow with me, and never let the cover near my face. 
That just some of it. Some of us had same rooms we covered and there was some girls that when they was off work, we did not want to have to do their rooms cause so hard to get them clean under/around everything, they had left go. 
So I am here to answer any questions about it. 
anyway, I was really fast working so I usually got mine done ahead of time. There are what they call "short cuts" but I never used them as I know how I would feel if sleeping in a nasty room. They had a phrase "stretching sheets" which some used to go faster. It means just not changing but smoothing them out and make it neat. I always felt that it took just as much time to do that anyway. so never done it. I changed them. all.
Sometimes the faster ones would help others with their rooms. One place, there was a young girl that just never seemed to be done with several rooms left at quiting time. I started helping her for several days , trying to teach her how to get faster.
about the second week of this, I gave up and was waiting quit time in the break room with others, when one girl looked over at me and said, "what? your girl is still with 3 rooms to do" teasing me about helping. so, yes I broke down and did it. She got let go after that second week. Its okay I felt to do it now and then, help, but not every day.
I worked for several places well known names motels. and would you believe most said Don't change the bed spread unless it smells or has a large stain!
no choice as we don't always do the laundry also. That's why, I always remove the spread, take my own pillow with me, and never let the cover near my face.
That just some of it. Some of us had same rooms we covered and there was some girls that when they was off work, we did not want to have to do their rooms cause so hard to get them clean under/around everything, they had left go.
So I am here to answer any questions about it. 14 people like this
13 responses
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
26 Sep 16
This is exactly what I supposed it happened and I know that many times the maids are asked "not to change" the bed sheets. I bought years ago a "travel sheet bag". You place it on your hotel/motel sheets so you avoid the contact with their bed sheets. Here is a photo to show you how it looks.
5 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
27 Sep 16
no i may have explained that wrong . most want you to change the sheets . in fact you can get fired for not at most. but most also do not want you changing the bed spread every time. you know the top over the sheets. causes to much laundry they say. but i hated not to. had to not change the spreads though to keep from loosing the job
2 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
28 Sep 16
@LadyDuck I was always glad to just have a job. so many didn't have one and the ones that did , did not seem to care some that is. I was always proud to do a job well. could never figure why some were not proud to do a good job.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
27 Sep 16
@bunnybon7 I know, it's surely a problem for people that, like you, would like to to their job well and satisfy the customers.
2 people like this
@marsha32 (6631)
• United States
26 Sep 16
That is bad.....very bad. I worked for Quality Inn, Ramada Inn, Comfort Inn and one local only motel and I always changed the sheets in between guests...always! Like you said, it took about the same amount of time to actually change them as it did to just re-make the bed.
I worked in the laundry room too at Quality and Ramada.....you see some pretty nasty stuff on those sheets, and the towels too.
3 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
28 Sep 16
@marsha32 yes me too. did they let you change the top bedspread most times? cause I got in trouble at times for changing those more then other girls.
@marguicha i even tried to change them if they would let me.
2 people like this
@marguicha (215405)
• Chile
28 Sep 16
@bunnybon7 I have had luck until now. I have my timeshare in Aruba and I usually go to the Caribbean. Most of the maids speak Spanish as their native language so they feel comfortable with me. So I get things other guests don´t.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215405)
• Chile
26 Sep 16
I agree. It´s alright between guests. But I would not expect the sheets to be changed every day.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Sep 16
I've watched that show on the travel channel where a guy goes to different hotels/motels and tells them what they need to do to renovate or update their place to make it up to par. Some are horrible. I stay at very few motels/hotels. The one have latest is a motel and I see them cleaning the other rooms and I know they do a good job. I think it pays to pay attention. I think it is important to review these places too. Good and bad alike.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Sep 16
@bunnybon7 .....That is important.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
28 Sep 16
me too. usually they have what they call a "lead" that checks your rooms. I have had that job and did not enjoy it as some do not like ones like myself that make you go back. I had a lead once everyone complained about. she only made me go back once and she used to tell me, I should take a lead job but I said no, I rather be liked by other girls here
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
29 Sep 16
floor may be dirtier. sorry to say. just carry your own pillow. thats what i do.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
27 Sep 16
That is pretty disgusting. My brother owned a motel and I helped my sister in law clean rooms and we always changed the sheets .
3 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
27 Sep 16
yes i always did also. i wanted to change the spreads every time but some places like i said don't let you. unless they are smelly or stained badly. one place almost fired me for changing to many spreads because they want to cut laundry expenses i think
3 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
28 Sep 16
true. that is why places start checking on the maids more to run down who is the culprit and she is usually fired. another reason I made sure to do my job
and she is usually fired. another reason I made sure to do my job2 people like this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
26 Sep 16
I know just what you mean. My hotel has a five day sheet change and if I was unable to change the sheets because of personal items on the bed, a DND sign or no service request I used to note it. I thought they were put it in as a full service for the next day but it would be listed as a light service.
Things are better since many hotels no longer use the heavy spreads but I'd like to kick whoever originally came up with the idea of using fitted sheets because it supposedly makes the guest feel like home (my argument is if we want them to feel like they are at home maybe we should make them take out their own trash) a ridiculous idea. Flat sheets were better, look better and you didn't have uneven edges one gets from fitted ones.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215405)
• Chile
26 Sep 16
Anyway, I hope that there is a big change when a new passenger arrives. I have a time share and the maids do a through cleaning at least twice a week. The most important for me was the first one and I tried to check. I don´t change sheets all the time at home.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
28 Sep 16
nor do I but I used to give them the option . some want their moneys worth I guess. most will just say you can clean and leave towels. that's why later years, when I am a guest I am easy on the maids. I know how hard this work is.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
28 Sep 16
some were like that. I never did. I would ask them if they wanted it cleaned or if I needed to come back later. I know I sound to proud but many people preferred me as their housekeeper and I got things given me and tips sometimes. most are very good to us good service folks. lol.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
29 Sep 16
true. and the girls don't usually get paid really well either. so I think it was some of their problem with doing a good job. sometimes its not real rewarding but I had to give it my all. it is very hard work. harder then just cleaning your whole house in one day. some places gave us maids 16 or more rooms. depending on how many showed up for work
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
29 Sep 16
most people just trust and don't notice things unless they have worked in such places
@sallypup (57858)
• Centralia, Washington
3 Oct 16
Quite the stories. I worked as a hotel maid for a bit but found I wasn't fast enough and did not get paid near enough for all the hard labor. I did clean resort rooms one summer, though and helped seniors stay home. That involved cleaning yucky toilets etc. but not so fast a pace and no supervisor looking over my shoulder.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
3 Oct 16
it is one of the hardest jobs ever. very exhausting .
1 person likes this
