Major hotel chains tout their beds and bedding as being luxurious, cozy and even heavenly, but just how often is that bedding cleaned and mattresses replaced?

Viewer Kelly wrote to Steele on your Side because she was curious about hotels’ hygiene practices when it comes to bedding and mattresses.

Consumer reporter Lynda Steele contacted two major hotel chains to find out.

Ron Pohl, Best Western’s vice president of brand management, told CTV his hotels offer triple sheeting and washable duvet covers which are cleaned after each use.

Bed manufacturers in Canada typically offer a 10-year warranty. Best Western offers a recycling and charitable program when the beds are no longer covered under warranty.

“The third-party recycling program dissembles each bed. The bed’s metal is reused and the fabric is cleansed, stripped and reused. We also offer a program to donate used beds to third-world countries,” said Pohl.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts also change their mattresses approximately every 10 years, or more frequently if there is wear and tear. As well, Fairmont says it regularly donates gently used linens, towels and bathrobes to local shelters and transitional housing.

The linens in each Fairmont room, including duvet covers, are changed on a daily basis, but the hotel chain also offers a sheet exchange program where guests staying for multiple nights can choose to not have their linens changed every day. Regardless, after three days all linens would automatically be refreshed with new items.