# Just say NO to shared pillows! Or, is this weird? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870 "2015-03-24T16:56:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/21 "2015-03-25T10:14:24Z")
So for those with pillow/blanket issues, a fairly serious question: How do you feel about seats and headrests in public transportation? I’m thinking mostly of planes, but taxis, buses, and rental cars would apply too. I tend to take my own pillow, but mostly because hotel pillows are a crapshoot comfort wise and my neck is picky about what I sleep on. Too big and fluffy a pillow (or one that’s leaden & flat) and I’ll have a screaming headache all the next day from a pissed off neck. I know all the icky things that people supposedly do in hotel rooms, but unless it’s a real fleabag sort of place I just don’t care. If the room smells clean and there are no obvious gross stains and the bathroom isn’t growing science experiments I’m happy. I’m not particularly gemaphobic though, I figure it’s all a good challenge to the immune system and keeps it on it’s toes 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/22 "2015-03-25T12:52:10Z")
I’ll take my pillow, but only because it’s a wedge and stacking a bunch of pillows just isn’t the same thing. If I forget it, I make do, but I don’t sleep as well. I figure as long as the sheets and pillowcases are clean, I’m OK. I don’t spend a lot of time in hotels, especially since I no longer have work-related travel, but apart from the time we found cigar butts in a supposedly non-smoking room, I don’t recall any cleanliness issues. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/23 "2015-03-25T14:20:00Z")
> [@Elemenopy](#): > > I took my absolutely favorite, awesome memory-foam pillow to a motel last year and…left it there. And I don’t remember what brand it was. I’ve been bereft ever since. ☹ > > I always immediately throw those scratchy polyester bedspreads in a corner if I’m staying in a sketchy hotel. Which we do sometimes, because I’m cheap, and sometimes it’s more about the destination than the amenities when you have a 6-person family to accommodate. I’ve seen the news reports on those things and how often they are cleaned. Ugh. I will sometimes take my own bedding if I am traveling by car – not because I’m germophobic but because mine is comfortable and familiar. I’m always a little worried that I’ll forget it but I havent yet. And I hate those scratchy plasticy bedspreads - I usually wad it up and stick it under the bed then search the closets for the extra blankets that they usually have stashed somewhere. My weirdness is with bathrobes, I MUST always have one when I travel even if it takes up half of my suitcase. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/24 "2015-03-25T15:00:46Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > But I know that I WASH my pillows… > > Yes, they can be washed. Shredded memory foam FTW. Also antimicrobial and so on. Inside hot-water-washable pillow protectors that keep allergens and bedbugs out. But I wash my head. Really, this makes no sense to me. I would never bring my personal pillows or sheets to a hotel. I think that’s way more guaranteed to pick up crap than my head ever could. It would actually make more sense to wear a nightcap or something to cover your head. I also have memory foam anti allergen pillows. Like I said, my pillow was not cheap. And I wash it at home. I would be far more afraid of losing it! I just check the hotel reviews pretty thoroughly, especially after the bed bug scare. But I have stayed from dingy little hotels (when I was poor) to hotels right in the middle of downtown metropolitans and they have all been quite clean. Yes, I think you are weird. But, it would be a boring old world if we were all the same. More power to you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/25 "2015-03-25T15:49:39Z")
I can understand the slightly squicky feeling some might have of sleeping in a hotel bed that’s been used to do who knows what by who knows who(m?) But aren’t we all basically walking zoos of mites, flora, fungi and bacteria? So why should someone else’s _Demodex folliculorum_ be any ickier than mine? Well that’s what I remind myself when the thought occurs to me, and I’m not sure if it makes me feel better or worse. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/26 "2015-03-25T15:56:32Z")
My problem with hotel rooms is the drinking glasses. The little maid carts do not have clean replacement glasses, so I am assuming they are only rinsed and replaced with a new cardboard cover to make it appear clean. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/27 "2015-03-25T15:56:33Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > I can understand the slightly squicky feeling some might have of sleeping in a hotel bed that’s been used to do who knows what by who knows who(m?) > > But aren’t we all basically walking zoos of mites, flora, fungi and bacteria? So why should someone else’s _Demodex folliculorum_ be any ickier than mine? > > Well that’s what I remind myself when the thought occurs to me, and I’m not sure if it makes me feel better or worse. It’s really a matter of risk and reward. I am not really likely to catch a disease merely from someone else’s pillow. Bedbugs and lice can both live in the sheets, and honestly, bedbugs will survive all kinds of cleaning anyway. That is a whole different kettle of fish. The only way to avoid possible hotel room infection 100% is to never stay in hotel rooms. I don’t know anyone who can do that. Even if you never ever go on vacation\* you probably will have to do it at least once for your job. \*And I am not willing to curtail my life so much in fear of some bugs! That sounds like a very sad life to me. At least the OP still goes! ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/28 "2015-03-25T16:16:46Z")
Yes, it’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/29 "2015-03-25T16:37:08Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > My problem with hotel rooms is the drinking glasses. The little maid carts do not have clean replacement glasses, so I am assuming they are only rinsed and replaced with a new cardboard cover to make it appear clean. Cheers. Same thing. The chances of actually getting a disease from them is pretty low. FTR, I don’t use them. But that’s more because I’m afraid of dropping them and breaking them. I don’t need to use drinking glasses all the time (and when I rinse after I brush, I just cup my hands). Besides, my allergies are so bad I figure my autoimmune response is pretty vigilant. I mean if it freaks out like that over a particle of dust, maybe that explains why I don’t get colds even when my SO does, and why I’ve _never_ had the flu. ---
**Author:** ![May\_20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@May\_20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/May_20)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/30 "2015-03-25T22:40:42Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > My problem with hotel rooms is the drinking glasses. The little maid carts do not have clean replacement glasses, so I am assuming they are only rinsed and replaced with a new cardboard cover to make it appear clean. Cheers. The last hotel I stayed in didn’t have glasses. They had plastic cups. The cup I used was disposed of and replaced by housekeeping even though I had asked for the “green service” when I checked in. _shrug_ Hotel pillows don’t bother me. I haven’t stayed in a place with the traditional bedspreads in a long time - don’t know if most places have quit using them or if I’ve simply missed the places that still use them. If the room looks and smells clean, I’m generally okay. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/31 "2015-03-25T23:48:13Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > My theory on hotel rooms: Assume anything inside the room has been either pissed on, jizzed on or shoved up someone’s ass. > [@Procrustus](#): > > In my mind, however, the room has only been used by 20 year-old beauty pageant contestants before me. The benefits of premier level rewards with the hotel chain… With someone like [Miss Delaware](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/beauty-pageant-scandals-gallery-1.14713), you could _both_ be right. :o ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/32 "2015-03-26T02:43:57Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > When I took a professional massage therapist class, one little detail that was most emphatically emphasized was wiping the face-rest of the massage table with some industrial-strength antiseptic solution after every session. That’s a FACE rest? I need a new massage therapist.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/33 "2015-03-26T02:57:13Z")
I have the ability to lie to myself about things. I am always the first person to use a hotel room, and even if those towels were used by other people, they probably just dried their left elbow with them or something . . . But TBH, you shouldn’t be worried about pillowcases, towels, etc - those are all things the staff cleans. Just think about everything a couple of drunk guys could do to those curtains. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/34 "2015-03-26T15:12:00Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > But TBH, you shouldn’t be worried about pillowcases, towels, etc - those are all things the staff cleans. Just think about everything a couple of drunk guys could do to those curtains. Or how many have thrown up in the ice bucket. I would hate to ever see a typical hotel room under a black light :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/35 "2015-03-26T18:55:47Z")
> [@May\_20](#): > > The last hotel I stayed in didn’t have glasses. They had plastic cups. The cup I used was disposed of and replaced by housekeeping even though I had asked for the “green service” when I checked in. _shrug_ > > Hotel pillows don’t bother me. I haven’t stayed in a place with the traditional bedspreads in a long time - don’t know if most places have quit using them or if I’ve simply missed the places that still use them. > > If the room looks and smells clean, I’m generally okay. I used to think like you. Then there was [diarrhea in the jacuzzi](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7050837&postcount=33). That room smelled very clean when I walked in. It looked very clean too. In fact, it looked like any other room I’ve ever been in. But it wasn’t clean. BTW, that was only the most extreme example of nastiness in a hotel room in my 10 years of road life, but others were just as life-changing. Pillows, towels, carpets, sheets, desks, desk chairs…you name it, I’ve seen some fucked up shit, man. And heard stuff from housekeepers that would turn your hair white. ---
**Author:** ![May\_20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@May\_20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/May_20)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/36 "2015-03-27T15:09:37Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I used to think like you. Then there was [diarrhea in the jacuzzi](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7050837&postcount=33). That room smelled very clean when I walked in. It looked very clean too. In fact, it looked like any other room I’ve ever been in. But it wasn’t clean. > > BTW, that was only the most extreme example of nastiness in a hotel room in my 10 years of road life, but others were just as life-changing. Pillows, towels, carpets, sheets, desks, desk chairs…you name it, I’ve seen some fucked up shit, man. And heard stuff from housekeepers that would turn your hair white. Yeah, that would send me running for the front desk. :eek: Skip the phone, and push to the front of the line. When I say “the room looked clean,” it’s because I looked all over the room. I lifted the toilet lid, looked in the tub, opened the dresser drawers, peeked under the bed, checked behind the curtains, etc. I’ve never found anything that disgusting, but I’ve found enough stuff to know enough to check before settling in. I don’t go as far as bringing a black light, though. At some point, you have to either trust your immune system or give up and stay home. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/37 "2015-03-28T01:18:42Z")
The only thing weird I do in hotel rooms (that I’m willing to disclose anyway) is, I have to have something on my feet at all times. I will go barefoot on that disgusting carpet, bathroom floor, or shower. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870/38 "2015-03-28T13:30:44Z")
I assumed you meant at the same time. And I was going to ask when that became a thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-say-no-to-shared-pillows-or-is-this-weird/715870.md?page=1)