Forever In School

I promised to write about my problem with hotels. It is my dirty secret. No one knows about it! Here it goes…

I have a problem with fabric. Fabric that is used by several people, strangers. You see, any other material, glass, wood, metal can easily be cleaned. You can even very easily disinfect them. Just spray some kind of cleaning product on them and wipe. Even toilet seat and shower can be cleaned. But fabric is different. The dirt can go inside the threads and stay there, and it’s usually harder to wash or clean. How many times a year do you think they clean the sofas in the hotel rooms? Or how often do they wash the quilt or the mattress? And yes, I know that the sheets are washed every time a guest leaves, but it feels weeeeyeee. You know? Imagine how many people have used these sheets and have put their heads on these pillowcases. Do you think they all have the same level of personal hygiene as you? Or how many couples have had sex on this same bed and have disposed body fluids on it? Or have puked on the pillow after a drunk night?

Disgusting I know. But those are the thoughts that go through my mind when I am lying on a hotel bed. I feel itchy all over my body. I try not to move much to touch the smallest area possible. And I am very well aware of my body, what my hands are touching and where my long hair is at all time during the night. I have the same feeling when I sit on the sofa. I feel much better in the bathroom though!! Everything is so clean and shiny. I can spend hours in there!

When I plan to go on a trip, I always have this worry that I might feel bad about the bed and not be able to sleep on it. Yes! It has happened to me once, in a family trip before I get married. I felt this way about the bed that I was supposed to sleep on at night and I spent the night in the my dad’s car!! So you can imagine why I am scared. Until I see the bed and lie down on it, I can’t be sure that I can sleep on it.

And showing the bed sheets under the microscope on Oprah definitely didn’t help! The dust mites and bed bugs are not very pretty from very close, you know! And this post in Badass Geek’s blog about fleas didn’t help either!! Go read for yourself.

I have been trying to overcome my problem with fabric. And I have changed a lot. Instead of bringing half of my house with me on a trip, now I only have to use my own towel and pillowcase. I bring a sheet too, just in case, but try not to use it. However, any activity that requires excessive movement on the bed is still banned from hotels, if you know what I mean!!