How to Get Your Spare Bed Ready for Guests: A Pillow-First Checklist
The run-up to Christmas is when many spare beds get their busiest stretch of the year, and also when many of them have been quietly neglected for months. The mattress has not been slept on since the summer, the pillows have spent weeks in a cupboard, and somewhere in the house is a single flat pillow that has been promoted to guest duty by default. If you are working out how to get your spare bed ready for guests, the pillows are the part most likely to let you down.
This is a pillow-first checklist for UK homes. It covers when to start, how to audit what you already have, how many pillows to put out, why offering a choice of soft and firmer pillows is worth the effort, how to freshen stored pillows, what to buy if you need more and how to look after the set once the visitors have gone. It works just as well for summer visitors, wedding weekends and visiting family at any time of year.
The short answer
- Start two to three weeks ahead, so there is time to wash, dry and, if necessary, order replacements.
- Sleep in the bed once to find out how it really feels.
- Check every spare pillow for flatness, lumps and smell. If it fails, refresh or replace it.
- Put out one or two sleeping pillows per guest, plus a spare pillow in a different firmness so guests can swap.
- Dress the bed with fresh pillowcases and, ideally, clean protectors.
- Check care labels before washing, and dry pillows all the way through.
When to start
Pillows are the slow part of getting a bed ready, because washing and drying a pillow properly can take a day or more and replacements need time to arrive. A rough timeline:
Two to three weeks before
Road-test the bed, audit your pillows, and decide what needs washing or replacing. If you need to buy, order now. Our shipping and delivery page has current delivery information, and it is sensible to order well ahead of the busiest weeks rather than the week guests arrive.
One to two weeks before
Wash and dry pillows, protectors and cases, and let the pillows air fully. See can you tumble dry pillows? for how to dry each type safely.
A few days before
Make the bed, arrange the pillows and check the room is warm and tidy.
The day before
Give every pillow a final shake and plump, and put a spare within easy reach.
Road-test the bed
It sounds obvious and almost nobody does it. One UK bedding retailer quoted in the press recommends exactly this: spend a night in the spare bed yourself, because you will quickly find out about lumps, dips, a cold room or a pillow that is the wrong height. It tells you things a quick glance at the bed never will. Pay particular attention to the pillows. If your neck is bent or your head is sinking too far on the mattress, so will a guest’s.
Audit your spare pillows
Lay every pillow you might use on the bed and check each one.
- Look. Is it flat, lumpy, yellowed or stained? Are the seams intact?
- Squeeze. Does it spring back? Our fold test is a quick way to find out.
- Smell. A pillow left in a cupboard or an unused room can pick up a stale smell. A quick airing helps, but a musty or sour smell that persists is a reason to replace the pillow. See why does my pillow smell.
- Decide. Keep it, refresh it or retire it.
| What you find | What to do |
|---|---|
| Plump, springy and clean | Keep. Shake it out and air it. |
| Slightly flat or lumpy | Try fluffing, or a wash and dry if the label allows. |
| Stale smell | Air it, wash it if allowed and dry it thoroughly. Replace it if the smell stays. |
| Flat after washing, stained, or seams splitting | Retire it. See what to do with old pillows. |
Be honest at this stage. The pillow you put out is the one a guest will sleep on for several nights, and a poor pillow is more memorable than a good one.
How many pillows per guest?
There is no official rule. A sensible baseline, and it is our suggestion rather than a standard, is one or two sleeping pillows per guest, plus one or two spares in the room or the wardrobe. A couple in a double or king-size bed would therefore have two to four sleeping pillows on the bed, with spares to one side.
Some guests like a high stack, some like a single flat pillow and some want a firm pillow for reading. Spares let them adjust without having to ask. Our guide to how many pillows on a king-size bed covers the decorative arrangement, and how to style a king-size bed with pillows shows how to layer them.
Offer a choice of support
You cannot know whether a guest sleeps on their side, back or front, which is why many hosting guides suggest putting out two types of pillow rather than a matched pair of the same type: something soft and something medium-firm. Both a UK bedding retailer’s holiday guest-room guide and an American interior designer quoted by Today make the same suggestion, which is to keep a firmer pillow to hand so guests can swap.
Here is how our current range maps onto that idea. Specifications are guide details that are confirmed with the supplier before dispatch.
| Support (guide) | Pillow | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| Soft | Duck Feather & Down Pillow | £39.99 |
| Medium-soft | Microfibre Pillow | £14.99 |
| Medium | Plain Pillow, Hollowfibre Pillow, Hotel-style Pillow, Duck Feather Pillow | £12.99 to £29.99 |
| Medium-firm | Box-edge Pillow | £21.99 |
If you are unsure what the terms mean, read how to choose the right pillow firmness and pillow loft explained. For a simple default, pillows for combination sleepers explains how to choose when a sleeper moves between positions, which is a useful way to think about guests whose habits you do not know.
Freshen stored pillows
If your pillows are in good condition but have been stored for a while, a little preparation makes a big difference.
- Shake and plump. It redistributes the filling and brings back some of the loft.
- Air them. A few hours in a warm, well-ventilated room, or outdoors on a dry, breezy day, helps clear a stale smell.
- Wash if the label allows it. Our guide to washing pillows explains the general approach, and the care label always has priority.
- Dry thoroughly. Follow our drying guide and check the centre of each pillow. A damp pillow put back into a cupboard will smell worse than before.
- Do not mask smells. Fragrance sprays tend to cover a problem rather than fix it. If a pillow still smells after washing and drying, replace it.
Make the bed
Use protectors and fresh cases
A zipped protector under the pillowcase keeps a pillow cleaner and makes it easier to refresh between visits. Make sure it matches the pillow size; our protector and pillowcase size guide has the measurements. For the look of the bed, our guide to Oxford vs housewife pillowcases explains the difference and how to mix them.
Aim for a welcoming, not cluttered, bed
A small number of well-plumped pillows looks better than a mountain of them. For a more polished finish, hotel style pillows UK explains what the term usually means, and the Hotel-style Pillow is listed with a plump, crisp finish.
Leave a spare within reach
A spare pillow at the foot of the bed or on a chair lets guests change the height without searching the house. It is a small gesture that people notice.
Think about your guests
You do not need to interrogate visitors, but a quick message before they arrive can save a bad night.
- Feather preferences. If a guest has told you they avoid feathers, choose a synthetic pillow such as the Hollowfibre Pillow or Microfibre Pillow. We make no medical or allergy claims for our products, so for health concerns, guests should follow their own medical advice. See are feather pillows hypoallergenic?
- Children. Standard adult pillows may be too large or high for small children. See pillows for children before you decide.
- Sleeping propped up. Some guests prefer to sleep with their head raised. Our guide to elevated sleeping explains the options.
- Side sleepers with broad shoulders. They often prefer a firmer, higher pillow. See the side sleeping guide.
If you need to buy
If your audit shows you are short of good pillows, a bundle is often more practical than buying one at a time. Prices and specifications below are guide details that are confirmed with the supplier before dispatch.
| Option | Guide price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Guest Bedroom Pillow Set | £34.99 | A ready-made set for a guest room. The exact contents are confirmed with the supplier, so check the product page. |
| Plain Pillow Pack of 2 | £24.99 | A matching pair for one bed, or a refresh for both sides. |
| Hollowfibre Multipack | £39.99 | Four medium-support hollowfibre pillows for a couple plus spares. |
| Box-edge Pillow | £21.99 | One medium-firm pillow to give guests a firmer option. |
You can browse the whole set in our pillow multipacks. For more on choosing, read pillows for a guest bedroom and buying in multipacks. If you let the room out to paying guests, our guide to pillows for holiday lets goes into numbers, changeovers and care in more detail.
After the visit
A few minutes after guests leave keeps the spare bed ready for next time.
- Strip the bed. Wash cases and protectors, and air the pillows.
- Check each pillow. Use the same look, squeeze and smell checks as before.
- Dry everything fully before storing anything.
- Store sensibly. Keep pillows clean, dry and somewhere breathable. Avoid squashing them tightly for long periods, which flattens the filling.
- Retire tired pillows. Our guide to old pillows covers the realistic options.
The one-page checklist
- Sleep in the bed for one night.
- Audit every spare pillow: look, squeeze, smell.
- Wash and dry what needs it, following care labels.
- Replace flat, lumpy or smelly pillows.
- Choose one or two sleeping pillows per guest.
- Add a spare in a different firmness.
- Fit clean protectors and fresh pillowcases.
- Check with guests about any feather preference.
- Plump everything on the day before they arrive.
- Leave a spare pillow within reach.
Frequently asked questions
How many pillows should I put on a guest bed?
One or two sleeping pillows per guest is a sensible baseline, plus a spare or two so they can adjust. This is general guidance rather than a rule.
What kind of pillow is best for guests?
Medium support suits the widest range of sleepers, and offering a soft and a firmer option covers most preferences. See how to choose the right pillow firmness.
How do I freshen pillows that have been in storage?
Shake them out, air them, wash them if the care label allows and dry them thoroughly. If a smell remains after that, replace the pillow.
Should I use a pillow protector on a guest bed?
It is a good idea. A protector keeps the pillow cleaner and makes it easier to refresh between stays. See pillow protectors and pillowcase sizes.
How far ahead should I order new pillows?
As early as you reasonably can, so there is time to air and plump them. Check our shipping and delivery page for current information.
Do I need different pillows for feather-sensitive guests?
If a guest has said they avoid feathers, choose a synthetic pillow. For health concerns, guests should follow their own medical advice.
Is a pillow set better than buying individual pillows?
A set is convenient and can be good value if you need several pillows at once. Check the product page for the confirmed contents before you order.
The bottom line
A spare bed is only as good as its worst pillow. Start early, sleep in the bed yourself, check every pillow, refresh or replace the weak ones, offer a choice of firmness and leave a spare within reach. The result is a bed that feels thought about, which is what guests remember.
Need a few more pillows before the visitors arrive? Browse the Pillow Store collection.
Sources and further reading
- The Courier: Six simple steps to spare room success
- Ideal Home: Get your guest room ready for Christmas visitors
- Panda London: Holiday-ready guest room guide
- Today: 11 easy ways to spiff up your spare room before guests arrive
Multipacks and sets from our range
Names, prices and descriptions come straight from each product page. Not sure which suits you? Try the Pillow Finder. Furnishing several rooms? Ask about larger quantities.
Plain Pillow Pack of 2
£24.99
Two matching plain pillows with medium support in a standard UK size. Convenient value compared with buying two singly.
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Hollowfibre Multipack
£39.99
Four hollowfibre pillows with medium support: practical, easy-care and well suited to family beds and guest rooms.
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Guest Bedroom Pillow Set
£34.99
A ready-made pillow set for a guest room: quality pillows suitable for regular use, not just occasional guests. Check the product page for set contents.
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