An Easy Pillowcase Tip Will Change The Game On Your Next Hotel Visit

The excitement that comes with travel can sometimes be tempered by twinges of homesickness — especially if you feel most comfortable and secure in your own bed. Seeing new sights and embracing the unfamiliar is one thing during the day — but when you're winding down to sleep, unfamiliar surroundings (even if they're the insides of a plush hotel room) might make you crave the comforts of your own space. 

What if there's a way to bring a part of home with you, ensure the small things that make a difference to you are still there, and set yourself up for a great night's sleep? Well, there is. Packing in your own pillowcase is one of the easiest hotel room hacks to improve your stay. Simply place a pillow slip in your suitcase and you can easily cover pillows at hotels. Besides giving you a slice of the familiar on your stay, bringing your own pillowcase can also have practical benefits. Some people exclusively use silk pillowcases as part of their skin and haircare routine and don't want to part with the benefits (or luxurious feel) on a trip. After all, who doesn't want to look their best on vacation? Others don't like the sensation of synthetic linen, and many people just downright prefer to have their face touching something they've personally laundered. You never know just how 'clean' hotels actually are or what their laundry process entails. Finding a hair on a pillowcase can leave even the most intrepid travelers unable to trust their hotel's hygiene standards. But before you race to the linen closet to stick a fresh pillowcase in your suitcase, here are some must-know tips. 

The best travel hacks are those that are cheap and simple, and packing in a pillow slip ticks both of these boxes. A pillowcase is light, compact, and sure to fit into your bag, even if you're a backpacker with minimal luggage. The first step to making sure you never have to lose sleep over a potentially unhygienic hotel pillow pressed against your face is to pick the right pillow slip to pack. Ideally, you should select one that isn't white, or better yet, is brightly colored or sports a print. A bright, bold pillow slip will stand out from hotel bedding, and reduce the risk of it getting swept up, laundered, and lost to the hotel's linen stores. Yes, hotels can mail you items you've left behind (here's how), but a white pillowcase is not something that will be simple for staff to track down. Given how easy it is to forget things in hotel rooms, we'd also advise against taking a pillowcase that's part of a matching set.

Speaking of hotel laundry, should you let your pillowcase get washed by room service? No, unless the hotel offers a guest laundry service where you could include the slip with your clothes. Fortunately, you can easily wash a pillowcase in the sink and hang it up to dry without having to worry about hotel laundry practices. Handwashing is one of the most practical ways to do laundry while traveling, but you can also make use of a laundromat if you've got a full load of clothes plus your pillowcase.  

The benefits of bringing your own pillowcase to a hotel can go beyond ensuring you have a good night's sleep. Your pillowcase can also double as a laundry bag. On your return trip home, it's an ideal place to store any unwashed clothes, keeping them away from the rest of your items. That means you've got the makings of a good night's sleep and a laundry bag all in one.

But this isn't the only way a pillowcase can come in handy. Your pillow slip can act as a bag for items that might get scratched, ruined, or easily misplaced in your luggage. That soft layer can be the protection needed to keep valuables or electronics safe, ensuring they get back in one piece. Got various accessories you don't want lying loose in your bag while going through TSA? Pack them into your pillow slip. Some people even go as far as using a pillowcase as a fashion accessory to act as a headscarf, but that really depends on how cool your pillowcase is.

If you love the idea of storing items in your pillowcase, we'd recommend investing in one with a zipper closure. And if you're considering trying out the pillowcase headscarf hack, here's a potential pillow slip pick: This J JIMOO 100% Mulberry Silk Pillowcase is patterned, sports a zipper, and promises to fight frizz — in other words, tailor-made for travel. If you aren't interested in spending extra on a new pillowcase, don't have one you think is suited for travel, or have already embarked on your trip, covering questionable hotel pillows with a t-shirt is another quick trick you can try.