SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA A bill being debated in the California Legislature would require all hotels in the state to do away with the flat bed sheets preferred by most hotels in favor of elastic fitted sheets.
The bill is backed by hotel labor unions who say the flat sheets are too cumbersome for housekeepers, who must lift mattresses to tuck the sheets under. Fitted sheets, they say, would make the bed-changing process quicker and less painful.
Most hoteliers favor flat sheets because they are easier to press, and as a result tend to look nicer. Additionally, the fitted sheets are more difficult to store and transport because of their elastic bands.
The proposed bill would also require California hotels to provide housekeepers with long-handled mops, thereby reducing the need for housekeepers to get on their hands and knees to scrub bathrooms.
The bill, SB 432, is being debated in the California Senate this week.