Bloodshot eyes at hotels

[Mastiff]

Whenever I travel I seem to get terrible bloodshot eyes in the morning after I wake up. This is even after a seemingly good night's sleep, and I have plenty of terrible night's sleep at home with no bloodshot eyes. So the question is why.

One thing people mention is the dry air in hotels, but here in the midwest in the winter, my skin is peeling off due to low humidity and I don't have this issue.

My latest theory is that they probably use a ton of bleach on the sheets and pillowcases in hotels, and that maybe this is getting into my eyes somehow overnight. Does this seem reasonable? I've been wondering if my dry eye issues are partially due to sleeping with eyes partially open, so maybe it's all related.

Anyone else have something like this?

[irish eyes]

I certainly have that problem so I avoid the big hotel chains wherever possible as they seem to be the worst. Like you, I always put this down to poor air circulation plus their insistence of having central heating on at the highest setting possible - and making it difficult to adjust.

When we travel in Europe, we tend to go for family hotels - not just for price but more because the rooms tend not to be as stuffy. Either that or rent an apartment.

Your comment about bleach being used in the sheets is interesting though. But what about the health-care sector where proper laundering of sheets & pillowcases is a major factor? Might similar concerns emerge there?

[eva b]

I've had very similar thought about laundry agents....there was one time I sent all my bed linen to a laundry (felt lazy) and it came back smelling very strongly of bleach, and my eyes reacted really badly - couldn't even lie down on the pillow case or bring the duvet near my face.

Had to re-wash everything several times and air it for days before the smell finally went away. So much for the lazyness!

It is very difficult to find washing liquid or powder that DOESN'T contain something or other that could possibly affect our eyes...even if it's only perfume. Does anyone else have similar problems?

[Lucy]

I don't have the problem, but a solution might be to buy a new set of pillowcases that are encased in plastic when you get to the city and use those instead of the hotel's irritating pillowcases. Just a thought.

[rubyslippers]

I think it is the strong cleaning products they use and over use of strong air fresheners that is the problem. I think the air is the culprit. I get the same reaction in hair salons, fabric stores (many fabrics are coated with a product to resist dirt), and in stores in general.

[Judy]

I have the same problem with hotels. I wake up and take a shower and go to put some makeup on and look in the mirror (once the steam has cleared) and boy do my eyes look scary. I thought it was just me. Interesting about the bleach and other cleaning products as that makes sense...