Grand Hôtel in Stockholm is said to be the first in Sweden with something we now take completely for granted: changing sheets between each guest. Around 150 years ago, it was a somewhat revolutionary idea – a promise of hygiene, care, and luxury. Today, no hotel would dare not to.
But amidst all the talk about standards, hygiene, comfort, and five-star experiences, one detail has fallen into a blind spot: the toilet paper.
We've cleaned the beds – but forgotten the roll.
When clean sheets were futuristic
Imagine the late 19th century. People traveled by train and boat, hygiene was far from today's standards, and "cleanliness" was not an obvious selling point. For a hotel to then announce: "We change sheets between each guest here" – that's big. An innovation!
Today, we barely reflect on it. We would rather react strongly if we realized someone had slept in the same sheets the night before. Most would demand a room change and give a bad rating on hotel sites.
But why haven't we made the same journey with everything else in the bathroom?
That extra roll – a detail no one wants to think about
Let's step into a perfectly ordinary hotel bathroom. You know exactly what you'll find:
-
Neatly folded towels
-
Shampoo, conditioner, and lotion
-
And almost always: an extra roll of toilet paper right by the toilet.
That extra roll is usually… completely naked. No packaging. No protection. Just a roll sitting on a shelf or standing on a small holder next to the toilet.
And that's where the questions begin:
-
How long has this roll been here?
-
Is it replaced between each guest – or does it remain until it runs out?
-
If it's replaced – do they throw away a whole roll between each guest?
It's actually strange how little we think about this, while at the same time demanding ever-higher hygiene standards elsewhere.
Clean sheets are a hygiene issue.
Fresh toilet paper… isn't that also one?
Hygiene vs. sustainability: an uncomfortable balancing act
The hotel industry often talks – and talks a lot – about sustainability.
Environmental certifications, reduced energy consumption, waste separation, recycled textiles, organic products. Guests are encouraged to use the same towel for several days "for the sake of the environment."
There are essentially three scenarios:
-
The roll is kept between guests
– Not particularly fresh. Exposed roll, standing for days or weeks in a bathroom where guests flush, shower, and move around. -
The roll is replaced between guests
– Fresh, yes. But what do they do with the roll that was just "sitting there"? Is it thrown away? Is it used by staff? Does it end up in the cleaning closet? Do they keep track of what is new and old paper? -
No one thinks about it
– The roll remains, no one knows for how long, and the guest… well, maybe they prefer not to think too deeply.
This is essentially the core:
We have high hygiene requirements and high sustainability ambitions – but the toilet paper gets caught in between.
Throwing away unused or barely used rolls is not sustainable.
Leaving the same naked roll between many guests is not particularly fresh.
So why have we accepted that this particular detail just "is what it is"?
The psychology of a roll: the feeling of clean vs. "uh..."
Hygiene is not just about what is actually clean, but also about what is perceived as clean. We want to feel safe. The feeling of sinking into crisply clean hotel sheets is as much mental as physical.
Toilet paper is extremely personal. It's something you use in one of the most private places, in one of the most intimate contexts.
An exposed roll can trigger instinctive thoughts:
-
"Has someone sneezed on it?"
-
"How much has been open in here?"
-
"How many guests have passed through this room before me?"
The contrast becomes clear:
-
New sheets: obvious.
-
Covered, protected paper: should also be obvious.
It's the same logic that we want cutlery in a restaurant to be clean and preferably protected until used. No one would accept receiving a knife and fork directly from another guest's plate.
So why are we so forgiving with an open roll of toilet paper?
A simple solution: wrap the roll
Here's the great thing: the problem isn't very difficult to solve.
Having all extra toilet paper rolls wrapped creates several advantages at once:
-
Hygiene: The roll is protected from splashes, dust, and bacteria.
-
Security: The guest can see that the roll is unused and has not been handled carelessly.
-
Clarity: It signals care and standard – much like folded towels or the classic "toilet seat with a paper seal."
-
Sustainability: A protected roll can be saved for the next guest without feeling unhygienic. This reduces the risk of hotels throwing away perfectly functional, but "exposed," rolls just because they have been out.
It doesn't have to be complicated. Just buy doodop!
When sustainability goals meet toilet habits
We live in an age where guests increasingly choose accommodations based on values:
-
Is the hotel climate-conscious?
-
Is there a well-thought-out policy for waste and resources?
-
Does it feel like they truly care – or is it just pretty words on a website?
Toilet paper might seem trivial, but it's often in the details that you feel whether sustainability efforts are genuine.
A thoughtful approach to handling toilet paper rolls can:
-
Reduce unnecessary waste
-
Elevate guests' perceived hygiene standard
-
Show that the hotel has truly thought through everything, from the sheets to the last sheet of paper
In an industry where many hotels offer similar rooms, similar breakfast buffets, and similar locations, it can actually be the small details that make guests remember – and return.
From Grand Hôtel to the home guest toilet
This isn't just about hotels.
Just as Grand Hôtel's sheet standard spread to the rest of the industry, the view on fresh and protected toilet paper can spread further:
-
To workplaces
-
To restaurants
-
To public spaces
-
To ordinary homes
Think about the feeling when you enter a guest toilet where the toilet paper is neat, clean, and clearly protected. It signals care. Someone has thought about your experience, right into the bathroom.
It's essentially the exact same principle as with the sheets:
We get used to a standard, and then we can't imagine anything else.
Time for the next hygiene revolution?
150 years ago, clean sheets between guests became a new hygiene standard.
Today, we can smile at how obvious it feels – but someone was first, someone dared to do it differently.
Perhaps it's now time for the next, albeit slightly more "poop-adjacent", revolution:
-
No bare, unprotected extra rolls
-
All toilet paper rolls become doodop rolls
-
A smart compromise between hygiene, sustainability, and guest experience
Because ultimately, it's about respect – for both the guest and the planet.
Clean sheets on the bed, fresh paper on the roll. Everything else feels, to be honest, rather outdated.
