Different types of bedding

There are many different types of pillows, covers, protectors, sheets and other bedding items; and with these comes all the confusion of what exactly each product is, what it’s used for and whether it’s a necessity or not. Here we have a list of all the products you need to create a perfect and complete bed (not all are essential):

Mattress Protector: As the name implies, it’s a protector for your mattress, which means it’ll keep it from getting stained, wet or full of pesky hairs that we shed during our sleep. Some are waterproof/water resistant which can really come in handy.
Bed Skirt: Placed between mattress and box springs, this piece of fabric is only for decorative purposes and it can add color and elegance, all while hiding the box springs since it usually goes all the way to the floor.
Fitted sheet: This sheet goes either directly on over your mattress or over the mattress protector. They have an elastic edge that makes it adjust flawlessly to your mattress.
Flat sheet: This sheet is the next piece of fabric following the fitted sheet. It separates your body from the comforter, quilt and/or blanket. This item isn’t extremely popular in Europe, because of the existence of the duvet cover.
Duvet: A duvet is basically a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers, or another synthetic alternative.
Duvet cover: It’s a removable cover for the duvet. The reason because many people don’t use a flat sheet when they have a duvet cover, is because these can be washed and/or replaced easily, so it’s one less thing to worry about. It’s presented as a sort of envelope which, once you’ve placed the duvet inside, is closed with buttons or a zipper.

 

Bedspread: More commonly used in America, this is a thin covering, which goes over the flat sheet. It doesn’t provide much warmth or comfort at all, it’s just for decoration, it covers the entire bed and usually it’s long enough to reach the floor.
Quilt: Traditionally, it is composed of three layers of fabric: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting and a woven back, which is stitched together with different decorative patterns. Some aren’t even used a bedding, rather as throws, table cloths, runners…
Blanket: Serves to provide warmth, and while it’s sometimes used alone, it’s more often than not put under your duvet/bedspread/quilt.
Pillow protector: Soft and very durable material which helps prevents stains, lice, bed bugs, bacteria and dust mites on the pillow. This can go alone or with a pillow case on top.
Pillow case: It’s purpose is to cover the pillow (and/or pillow protector). Usually used more for decoration as there are many different patterns and designs available. It has one lateral opening through which the pillow is placed, and it is later closed with a zipper, buttons, drawstrings, etc. or it can have an overlap or envelope closure.
Pillow sham: Similar to a pillow case except instead of having a lateral opening, it’s all closed and has a margin of extra cloth. More than anything, it has a decorative purpose.
Throw blanket: It’s very similar to a normal blanket, except it’s more for added decoration or warth at the foot of the bed or to wrap around your shoulder.

“Oh no! I forgot to bring my bathing suit”…

When you go on vacation, the 2 of the most important things you have on your mind is relaxing and having a good time. For many people this translates into participating in a fun activity such as swimming.

Now, you may be thinking that most guests come with their own bathing suits, but the truth is that they seem to forget them more often than we would assume. Whether it’s because it just slipped their mind or because it’s been misplaced or broken, imagine the gratitude they’ll feel when they find out that the hotel they stay carries bathing suits. It adds to the services of the hotel.
Another very common reason behind the guests needing a bathing suit, is because if they choose to go on vacation during the winter season, they most likely weren’t thinking about going swimming. It’s a real shame when they can’t enjoy the pool (if your hotel has an indoor pool).

At Caractere, we have produced our line of Disposable bathing suits, and no, you’re not supposed to throw them away (you can recycle them) after just one use, they can last months if they’re properly taken care of, but if they are washed too many times it can start to stretch too much.
We have 4 different styles: 2 for women (bikini and one-piece) and 2 for men (boxer-cut shorts and stretchy brief-style shorts). All in black, as we think it’s the most versatile and fashionable color. Lined with a comfortable, protective layer of soft white mesh fabric in the crotch area and inside the supported cups, the bust size generally corresponds to the size of the suit: A-B for Small, C-D for Medium, etc., but the cut is generous enough to allow a wide range of users to feel comfortable.
The padded bra section offers complete discretion even when wet, and the elastic waist area ensures that these swimsuits will flatter your guests with a lovely silhouette.
And the best thing? We have all sizes available from XS (extra small) to XXL (extra extra large).

It might not seem like the most imporant thing, but it’s surely a detail that your guests will really appreciate and rave about, as nowdays only the most expensive and luxurious hotels offer this option.

New slippers available in Caractere

In Caractere we have expanded our range of slippers not only for hotels, but also for small establishments such as motels, hostels and B & B.

Let’s look at the different models we have:

 — Standard slippers with an open or closed toe.

–LUXE slippers available in many colors and also available with an open or closed toe.

– Prestige slippers, a clean and velvety finish.

– Paris slippers, which have a smooth and silky feel.

– And now we present our Chateau slippers. Soft, and like all our slippers, it is available in three different sizes.

In Caractere, all our slippers are presented in an individual sealed bag and are disposable to assure the best possible hygiene to the customer .

Upon request, we can customize the color of the slippers and add a logo to them. This option is available when a large quantity is ordered.

However, you can also find our products on our website, available in small quantities (usually 10 or 20 pieces).

Stating from 100 pieces significant discounts can be made, up to 20% of the price.

We also carry a line of children’s slippers.

How our disposable sheets have used as disposable covers for chairs

Usually our flat bed sheets are used to cover beds but… some of our customers use it for parties!

Imagination is power and we discover new applications every day of our products.

For example, in this photo, we can see the how our very creative client Christine Lecombe turned out product from bed sheets to chair covers, for a hundred chairs during a wedding she organized.

The quality of our product (strength and thickness) and, especially, their prices were 2 main deciding factors. When we are on a budget, it is better to use our imagination and therefore stay within it.

If you want to know more about our flat bed sheets click here!

 

Using headphones can cause infections…

Nowadays practically everybody uses some type of headphones, whether they’re in-ear, on-ear, over-the-ear… there is a plethera of possibilites; and while they’re ergonomic, convinient and quite comfortable, they can cause many different types of infections in your ear that most people are not aware of and even hearing loss. While some of these are prone to happening, many could be easily avoided by simply keeping up with their maintenance.

Ear infections are obviously more likely to occur to their more frequent users rather than the ones that don’t often wear them. But even the latter could be subjected to an infection if he or she doesn’t properly take care of their headphones. According to a bit of research, the cushions should be changed every 2-3 months, and should be cleaned frequently with the right products to make sure that all the germs and dirt are removed.
One of the most common causes of these ear infections, is because the humidity and temperature in the users ear canals is very high when the headphones are used for a prolonged period of time.

But the most common and most dangerous reason is sharing your headphones with someone else. While it may not seem so serious, when sharing, any bacteria or germs inside the other persons ear while be passed on to you.. Because of this, next time you’re thinking about letting someone borrow your headphones, think again. Not even friends or family as anyone could have an infection you’re not aware of. In the case that you do, sanitize the headphones thoroughly before using them yourself, to prevent.

 

In Caractere, we always want to help the client have the best hygiene possible, for this reason we have produced our Headphone Covers. These covers, shaped like mini-hats or caps, fit around the side of earphones thanks to an elastic band that holds them tight and keeps them comfortable, even during long listening sessions. The nonwoven material guarantee impeccable cleanliness while allowing breathability and for the sound to pass through without a problem or distortion. And best of all? We have many sizes available and can even custom produce any size you’d like.

So what do you say? Want to risk a pesky infection or would you rather keep safe and use some of our headphone covers?

 

 

Disposable mattress protectors for hotels, hostels, B & Bs…

Get less complaints and more satisfaction – Helps combat hair that can become embedded in bed sheets or mattress, stains, dust and dirt and to ease the daily care of the rooms in hotel establishments.

“I found pubic hair on the mattress of my room” (from a review on TripAdvisor).

How many times have you seen negative reviews on trip advisor? Too many! And, often they involve only the bed. Travelers from all over the world have had unpleasant experiences in their accommodations, including luxury establishments! Travel blogs offer advice on hygiene and tell their experiences with filth and disorganization.

Our mattress protectors are placed on the mattress and you can put a sheet over them for maximum protection, this forms a layer that protects the mattress. They are also a great help to reduce costs and time, since traditional sheets and mattress protectors are expensive to wash. When using our mattress protectors, you will not risk your guests finding hairs, dust, or stains.

 

• Protects the mattress from signs of wear
• Mites under control – The use of the mattress protector eliminates the presence of mites in the bed.
• Lower risk of allergies – Reducing the presence of mites also reduces the risk of an allergic reaction to those who are sensitive to dust.
• Less risk of receiving customer complaints and negative reviews online.
• They help reduce the time and costs of cleaning and maintaining the laundry service.
• They can also be used to deal with incontinence problems of the elderly and the children.
• Semi-durable. They can last up to six weeks. After its use, you can place it in the plastic recycling container.
• 100% recyclable
• Mattress protectors offer excellent customer service while helping to reduce costs and time of room maintenance.

 

TYPES OF MATTRESS PROTECTORS

For hotels and B & B

The basic model – 100% water resistant. A subtle but effective protection.

NUIT TRANQUILLE model – semi-waterproof and breathable.

NUIT Ideal model– 100% waterproof, breathable and silent. High technology.

Most economical models:

Plate model with elastic – 100% water resistant – not adjustable to mattress, this item includes two rubber bands that allow you to place it on mattresses or stretchers of different sizes.

Leader in the production and distribution of disposable linen in Europe, Caractere Paris offers a wide variety of models and sizes, having to adapt to the different types of mattresses found in France, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Inspired by our experience with international clients, the next article will be about the different ways of calling bed linen and will be titled: “Linen in Five Languages. Five Different Ways to Sleep” Till next time!

2 important reasons why…

There are many, many reasons why hotels, spas and other establishments should decide to use disposable linen over resuable ones. In the following blog post, we’ll see 2 very important reasons:

Safety Reason:

I recently came across an article online, in which they explained how the fire service was giving a warning amid a spate of fires caused by putting several items such as towels and robes inside a tumble dryer. These items had traces of oils on them, from using the them on clients or employees, which combined with the heat, set them on fire.

This is happening in dry cleaning businesses, spas, hotels,etc.

One of the most recent cases was in a restaurant where employees were washing their aprons and other linens that had traces of cooking oil on them. Once they were placed in the dryer, the fire erupted.

There´s almost no safe way around this problem, seeing as how if you choose to wash them with low heat the oil stays on the linen, and if you dry them in high temperatures, they catch on fire.

This is a great example of why it’s safer, easier and not to mention more hygienic to use disposable linen; with them, once used you can just throw them out and avoid any problems with the cleaning.

Hygienic Reason:

“What DOESN’T get cleaned often, and are usually recycled from guest to guest, are bedsheets; pillows; blankets; and, of course, window curtains. Also, most housekeepers won’t change out a linen that wasn’t used. So that bathroom towel could have been there for weeks.”

This is a direct quote found online by an ex-housekeeper that wishses to remain anonymous.

Yes, you read correctly. The linen in certain hotel rooms don´t necessarily get cleaned and/or changed as often as one would think. Granted, the hotel where this housekeeper worked was relatively small, but, there’s really no valid excuse.

Imagine one day a health inspector decides to pop-up in a hotel and checks on a random room, where unfortunately the bedsheets haven´t been washed or changed. This would be terrible for the hotel and it’s something that can be easily avoided. The solution to this being disposable bed linen; once it´s been used you can easily recycle it.

In caractere, we have a product called Disposable mattress protectors, which if you put a bed sheet on top, doesn´t have to be changed in a few months. This is thanks to the material it’s made out of, making it waterproof and doesn´t allow any hairs or stains to get stuck on it.

Why Use Disposable Mattress Protectors:

Mattress protectors are an essential product in each and every hotel room. Why? To guarantee the customers hygiene. Without it, they could come in contact with possible stains or even hairs that could´ve gotten embedded in the mattress.

The vast majority, if not all hotels use them. That’s not the problem, the problem is that there are hotels that still use reusable mattress protectors.

You´re probably wondering what’s wrong with using a reusable one, since they’ve always been used. In response to this, I’m pleased to inform you that there are several advantages: time, due to the fact that instead of having to wash them, you would just recycle them after they’ve been used; Hygiene, our disposable mattress protectors can last for months without having to be changed and it remains 100% clean thanks to the material it’s made out of, which by the way is waterproof; and another great advantage, that perhaps for many will be the most important …. THEY’RE CHEAPER.

At first you might think that having to buy them several times a year would be more expensive than buying them only once. But what about the expenses or problems that washing them can cause?

It wouldn’t seem so, but these expenses add up, especially if in your hotel the bed linen is washed daily, which is the case for most. Normally the mattress protectors come with an elastic to allow it to adjust to the bed. This causes a big problem, the tumble dryer has to be set at low temperatures (which is more expensive), otherwise it has to be  dried outdoors, which is a waste of time and space.

Many will think that perhaps this is false, but if you really look at your laundry bills you will realize it is in fact true, this is what ACCOR hotels in France realized and they’ve been customers of ours for many years.

Everyone wants to save money, if you have it so easy and readily available… what’s stopping you?