Rasies Hand.
From someone who's done a stunt or do, in Hotel Laundry, I can answer a few questions.
For one thing, nasty, hard to remove stains, like Blood, get a 6 hour warm soak, in Oxiclean. This is a whole lot more effective than sprays like Shout, etc.
If a stain, does not come out, after the wash. The linen is thrown out. It's now unusable, and shouldn't be given to a guest.
The 2nd thing, is the Sheets & Towels and everything, are already practically clean to begin with. By pulling sheets & towels daily, back into the cycle, they simply don't have a chance to get all dingy, and stains set in. This keeps fabrics looking whiter, and brighter overtime.
Home Users, typically wash things like sheets, once a week, if not much longer. So Stains have a much longer time, to set in. Throw in the fact, that americans hate Bleach, and using Hot Water. And we notice sells of off-colour linens become ever so popular.
Hotels. Aren't afraid of using Chemicals. They use extremely alkaline detergent(s). Ones that'd physically burn skin off if touched. Stronger Mixtures of Chlorine Bleach, than watered down crap from the store. And lots and lots of Unlimited, Hot Hot (160, 170+) water.
It's a fascinating cycle.
First Laundry Break/Alki - This is what dissolves the stains, loosening up fabric soils, so they can be washed away by the Detergent.
Detergent - Quick Cycle in typically heavy suds. Helps pull out anything lingering from the break cycle, notably greasy stains, and body oils.
Bleach - The Magic Clorox. This Removes remaining dyes and colors left behind by stains. It oxidises them out of fabric, leaving Sheets & Linens, Bright, and Clean.
All that Bleach, would take a very hard life on the fabric. Aging and weakening it prematurely... However. Hotel Magic comes back into place.
Anti-Chlor, is than rinsed into the Fabric. Killing off lingering Chlorine. Preventing Yellowing, and Eliminating that Chlorine Smell.
This is all followed by a Laundry Sour. Removing any alkalinity to the fabric, making the fabric softer.
Than... they inject a Softener Chemical, along with Bluing. The bluing, makes white fabrics look brighter, while the softener, makes the towels, and sheets, feel amazing.
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Now comes the more fascinating part. Hotels, never ever, buy "Luxury" Fabrics.
They buy cheap 220tc/300tc (higher end) sheets for there hotels. They go to a cotton supplier, and order in the biggest bulk possible. Everyone loves the sheets, because of the laundering process. However, they still aren't any better than what you already have at home.
The Towels. Are Cheap Too. I know for a fact that Westin doesn't spend more than $4 a towel.
Obviously, you can't replicate the hotel laundering process. (Although, I've came pretty da** close with a lot of determination.) But... I think simply investing in better sheets & towels, and linens. Can make a world of a difference.
And Using Bleach. Buy 8.25% Bleach, and use it. Bleach Bleach Bleach. It's there to re-inspire whiteness. Use it
