Sheets' hygiene at budget hotels not satisfactory

The hygiene standards of bed sheets and towels supplied in budget hotels are not satisfactory, according to a report issued at a consumer rights conference, the Guangzhou Daily reported on Tuesday.

Consumer associations from 21 cities and representatives from the China Consumer Journal attended the conference in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, and issued a report on the hygiene standards of 140 batches of sheets and towels in 48 budget hotels.

The report showed that 84 batches, accounting for 60 percent of the samples, didn't reach satisfactory hygiene standards.

Among the 84 batches, 12 had excessive bacteria and fungi, and 82 batches had pH values higher than industry limits, which can cause skin problems.

The results were caused by non-standard laundry techniques, according to the report, such as when laundry companies mix sheets used in hospitals with those used in hotels, or when they use too much detergent.

The Guangzhou Daily also interviewed 10 people who stayed in budget hotels, and found that more than five of them thought the sheets and towels there were not clean. Two of them said that they use their own toothbrushes, cups and towels when staying in a hotel, and one of them even said that he brings his own sheets.