23 TYPES OF LINEN INCLUDING BED MAKING

PL. Sridevi Sivakami

1 .Introduction

Linen is the highest annual cost inventory in the housekeeping department, hence getting good value for the money spend should be an important priority for an executive housekeeper .Therefore must have thorough knowledge of the composition ,construction and properties of a fabric. Artistic skill of housekeeper can be executed in bed making procedures.

2. OBJECTIVE

At the end of this module you are able to

1.   identify the different types of linen

1.   understand the bed types and size of beds and

2.   demonstrate appropriate skills in bed making

3.  Types of linen:

Each individual piece of linen requires special consideration in terms of quality ,type and size besides cost.

3.1. BED LINEN

3.1.1. Bed sheets

The bed sheets have a good quality with a slight luster and made from non crease fabric so as to retain its appearance. For comfort, the texture should be soft and smooth, absorbent and free from state. More frequently used are polyester and terry cot. Bed sheet should be large enough to be tucked in securely all around the mattress. A width cutting length of fabric for the bed sheet is approximately 8 meters. Normally for the single bed of 85 X190 cms a single sheet should be 177 X274 cm, for double sheet be 238 X 274 cm

3.1.2 Pillow & Pillowcases.

An ideal pillow should be neither too soft nor too hard, while selecting pillows, the house keeper must test their comfort and the longevity. With proper care, good quality may last for two years. The uses of pillow covers can double the life of the pillow .The usual size is 48X73 cm

Pillowcases are generally made from the same fabric as that of the bed linen. The longer bag type which is folded in at the open end. In order to calculate the amount of material required to stitch a pillowcase, it is necessary to measure the circumference of the pillow and add on 2 to 4 inches to allow for shrinkage and perfect fit.

3.1.3. Bolsters

Bolsters are elongated pillow which stretch the width of the bed. They form an under pillow and as the head does not rest on them directly. They have a gone out of fashion and now days a guest is normally given two pillows on the bed.

3.1.4. Blankets

These need to adhere to the body in order to provide warmth .In order to be comfortable, they should be smooth, soft and resilient and not too heavy. Wool is often blended with a synthetic fibre, a less durable alternative is made from nylon fibres, it is suitable for those who are allergic to wool. Electric blankets are uncommon in Indian and are difficult to maintain and anchor to prevent pilferage.

3.1.5. Duvets/quilts

It is increasingly popular in modern hotels and are fast replacing the blanket, especially on double beds. They consist of a filling sandwiched or stitched in a fabric case with a changeable cover. The fillers may be feathers of the birds or synthetic fibers. Many hotels use duvet with its cover as a bed spread, in which case a bottom sheet, pillow and duvet with cover are all that are needed to make a bed. Duvets are three times lighter than the combined weight of all the linen that covers a guest in conventional bed making.

Eiderdowns are exclusive quilts filled with down feathers from the eider duck which make them very expensive, nowadays cheaper imitations made with synthetic fibres are now available. Quilts are generally placed under the fold of the top sheet keep them clean and avoid stains, they provide a warm but lightweight covering. The warmth duvet is rated in „togs „, the average duvet having a rating of 10.5 togs and the warmer ones having a higher tog 11and 14 whereas the polyester fiber filled duvet have a tog between 8 and 11

3.1.6. Soft Furnishing

These articles serve various functions ,some may be simply decorative ,providing colour, pattern and texture to the room some are protective and others may provide warmth and comfort.

3.1.7. Curtains

These often contribute more to the atmosphere of a room than any other items of furnishing .Plain heavy curtains draping to the floor are used to create a formal setting. Short curtains made of light, brightly patterned fabrics are created an informal, relaxed atmosphere. Apart from creating the desired atmosphere, curtains give flexible control of privacy, heat, light and to extent noise. The various fabric used for making curtains are cotton ,linen, rayon ,glass ,acrylics and silk for luxurious settings. Good curtains are usually lined and heavy curtains are interlined , the lining helps the curtains to drape well and also to protect from sunlight and dust. The curtain materials required for windows is 15 meters .A heavy fabrics is usual for public areas and a lighter one in the guest rooms.

3.1.8. Cushion covers /Upholstery:

They must match the décor and are ideal type of furnishing to introduce colour, pattern and texture into a furnished room to bring a cheer to the guest room. It is important that they are resistant to dirt, the fabric should not slip nor lint .They may be used in the scatter cushions some may be used as back rest in chairs others may be shaped to fit sofas and chairs seats, cushions may be made of variety of fabrics.

3.2.1. Bath linen

Bath linen comprise towels, bathmats, shower curtains:

Towel and bathmats requirements of toweling material are that it should be absorbent; the fabric should also be durable and soft. Shower curtains in hotels are waterproof these include nylon ,vinyl, fibre glass or PVC coated materials .Whether white or coloured, the folds of plastics curtains tend to stick together when hanging wet. Nylon curtains have a better finish and can be obtained in pastel colours or white .Fiber glass curtains are very brittle but are soil resistant and resilient to fire, acid, moisture.

3.2.2. Table linen

These have both practical and aesthetic uses ,so napery must be clean ,fresh and crisp

3.2.3. Table cloth

Fabric consider for table linen is Damask should be able to resist stains and to retain their colour and shape even after frequent laundering. The table cloth should be sufficiently large to hang 9 inches below the table edge and the fabric should be hemed on four sides

3.2.4. Napkins

These are usually made of 100 % cotton or linen as they need to be absorbent. Also, it should be possible to starch them so as to allow them to be folded into fancy shapes .

3.2.5. Slip cloth

These are placed over the table cloth to achieve a contrasting effect and hence are normally coloured.

3.2.6. Underlays

Baize or any other felted material is suitable for these ,molton is a cheaper alternative

3.2.7. Skirts/Frills /Runners

Drapablity is an important requirement in these fabrics .Satins made of synthetic fibers are used as they are durable and colour fast. Banquet frills ( Jupone) may have pleats when draping the table. Varied styles may be used when draping which will affect the length of fabric required .The width of the fabric must correspond with the length of the table.

3.2.8. Waiters cloth

A 100 % cotton casement is preferred fabric for waiters cloth

4. BED AND BED MAKING PROCEDURE

Bedding are an essential part of hotel accommodation. However the beds is a piece of furniture must not only be comfortable but also look inviting. To make beds more comfortable the top layer is frequently a mattress.

5. OVERVIEW OF BED MAKING

A neatly made up beds adds greatly to a appeal of the guest room. The aim of GRA should be to make a neat bed efficiently, saving both time and energy as fat as possible. A GRA is adept at making beds should be able to finish making a single bed in a maximum of 3 minutes and a double bed in a maximum of 7 minutes. The materials required to make a bed are stacked in a room attendants cart.

Bed making involves making a bed with the bed linen already on the bed. Changing or re sheeting the bed involves stripping the bed of all soiled linen and making the bed with fresh linen. Some luxury hotels change bed linen twice a day, but many prefer to do it once a day as part of water conservation programme.

6. TYPES OF BED

Different types of bed are

6.1. An adjustable bed is a bed that can be adjusted to a number of different positions

6.2. An air bed uses an air inflated mattress ,sometimes connected to an electric air pump and having firmness controls

6.3. A box bed is a bed having the form of a large box with wooden roof, sides and ends opening in front with two sliding panels or shutters ,often used in cottage; sometime arranged so as to fold up into a box.

6.4. A day bed is a couch that is used as a seat by day and as bed by night.

6.5. A futon is a traditional style of Japanese bed that is also available in a larger western style.

6.6. A Murphy bed or wall bed is a bed that can hinge into a wall or cabinet to save space. It may also be called sico bed .

6.7. A pallet is a thin light weight mattress

6.8. A platform bed is a mattress resting on a solid, flat raised surface, either free standing or part of the structure of the room.

6.9. Roll –away bed or cot is a bed whose frame inn half and rolls in order to be more easily stored and moved

6.10. Sofa bed is a bed that is stored inside a sofa

6.11. Vibrating bed is typically a coin operated novelty found in a vintage motel. For a fee , the mattress vibrates for a duration of time. This is supposed to counter body ache and relax.

6.12. Double bed A type of bed that bigger than a single but smallest than a  queen bed

6.13. Waterbed is a bed /mattress combination where the mattress is filled with water.

6.14. Studio bed This a dual purpose bed that is used as divan in the day time and converts into a bed in the night after the removal of bolsters and covers.

6.15. Zed bed have a stretched springs which can be folded up into a narrow rectangular shape, enhancing a thin mattress

7. BED SIZES

Now a days ,beds come in a wide array of shapes and sizes .Most countries have a standard set of four sizes of mattresses .While the double size appears to be a standard ,based on the imperial measurements of 4. Ft .6.inches by 6 ft. 3.inches, the sizes for other bed types tend to vary. Modern manufacturing conventions have resulted in a limited number of standard sizes of commercial bedding for mattress and box springs. They vary with the country origin.

7.1. Single/Twin bed:

Standard dimension of single bed is 75” inches by 39‟‟ inches designed for one person or for children; these beds are narrow and fit for smallest bedrooms. Some of the twin beds are 5‟‟ longer than single bed and also half size of a king bed

7.2. Full bed:

This type of bed is also known as double bed. The average dimensions of such a bed are 75‟‟ inches long and 54‟‟ inches wide. This implies that it‟s just 15‟‟ inches wider than twin size beds, leaving a space of 27‟‟ inches for each adult, which is much less than the space offered by the twin size beds.

The standard sized double bed is about 25% smaller than the queen bed and is provided in any room category.

7.3. Queen bed:

The Queen is the most popular size today, it easily accommodates two average size adults. The average measurement of queen beds is 60‟‟ inches by 80‟‟ inches. This implies that it is 6‟‟inches wider and 5‟‟ inches longer than the full bed. It is also known as “Eastern Queen”.

A queen bed is about 10 to 25% smaller than the king sized bed, but 25% bigger than the standard bed

7.4. King-sized Bed

Average measurements of king sized bed is 76″ X 80″ it is also known as “Eastern King”. It is the latest style and is equal to two twin beds normally provided in deluxe rooms or suites. It is also known as “Eastern King

8. BED MAKING

The art of bed making is the technique of preparing different types of bed to make a guest comfortable position for a particular condition. Technical expertise in a hotel because of the sheer volume of beds to be made in a given shift. If a room attendant has to prepare 16 rooms as per the prevalent standards ,in a shift .Housekeeper has potentially 32 beds to make

.This is the addition to cleaning the rooms .It is here that a room attendant productivity is determined . Learning the proper procedure for making a bed helps to ensure the guests comfort and sense of well being. The bed is an important part of the guest‟s hotel environment .

Earlier most hotels used to follow one standard method of bed making, but nowadays there are different methods being used by different properties .The common methods of bed making followed in a hotel are out lined in this session.

8.1. TRADITIONAL METHOD WITH FULL TUCK IN

In this method the bed is made up with all the sheets and blankets is tucked in on both sides

8.2. TRADITIONAL METHOD WITH AN OPEN SIDE

In this method the sheets and blanket are tucked in only on one side. The sheets and the blanket on the mitred only at the foot of the bed and are folded back at the side, leaving it open.

8.3. MODERN METHODS ,USING A DUVET .

A duvet, covered with a washable duvet cover is used instead of the bed spread . A top sheet should be used so that the duvet or blanket does not come in contact with skin and spoiled .Moreover , the blanket may be rough with repeated washing and so may irritate the guest‟s skin ; the top sheet affords protection against this

8.4. PROCEDURES FOR TRADITIONAL BED MAKING:

Many housekeepers insists on working on only one side of the bed at a time and cum moving on to work on the other side only when finished with the previous one. Whatever method adopted, the GRA should not move around the bed using unnecessary steps that could slow down the procedures

9. PROCEDURE FOR MAKING A BED

More efficient method to make a bed a Strip the clothes from the bed on to a chair ,turn the mattress occasionally unless made of latex ,working from the side replace under blankets: put on bottom sheet ,right side up and tuck in all round ,making a mitre at all four corners put on top sheet, wrong side up to reach just beyond the head of the put on the blankets and put on the blankets separately , to reach just short of the top sheet put on quilt if used: mitre one bottom corner and turn over sufficient of the sheet and blankets at the top to leave a space for the pillows, approximately 60 cm and tuck in that side :repeat on other side :replace the pillows with open side: replace the pillow with open ends away from the door: put on bed sheet.

10. Summary

In this module we further learnt about the types of linen items that go into guest rooms are bed linen are bed spreads, pillow and pillow cases, blankets, duvet and soft furnishing like cushions, curtains and on bath linen like towels bathmats and shower curtains and finally on table linen including napkin, slip cloth ,under lays , skirts/frills /runners and waiters cloth.

Also in this lesson, we dealt in detail about bed making. Beds are made of foam mattress normally used for comfort and relax. Beds generally come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Most of the countries have their set of four sizes of beds/ mattresses. Bed making is an art and technique of preparing different types of bed to make a guest comfortable during their stay. From this module you may have learnt about procedures of bed making.

REFERENCES:

1. Andrew, S. Hotel Front Office – Training manual, Tata Mac Graw Hill Publishing co ltd, New Delhi, 2009
2. Schneider, M. and Tucker, G. The Professional Housekeeper, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 2005.
3. Branson, J, C. and Lenrox, M. Hotel, Hostel and House Keeping, Edward Arnold Ltd, 2007.