hotel roomIf you've stayed in a hotel for more than a day or two lately, you may have noticed the housekeeping cart passed you by.

You may even have seen a little sign in the bathroom advising you they're "greening" up their cleaning, so you have the option of re-using your towels one more time.

USA Today asked this week if this is really greening or whether hotels are just tightening their belts?

We have a better question: Do you even care?

A number of hotels are actually giving discounts if you skip the housekeeping -- as much as 20 percent off your room.

And then there's the mere fact that you don't have to clean up after your kids every day before you leave the room -- lest a My Little Pony hair tie get lost when hotel staff vacuums.

Sounds like a win to us -- whatever word they want to use.

As my friend T said of her recent trip to Florida, it was more like "home" when they bypassed her door every morning. And that made her more relaxed.

Which brings up another issue: Can we take what hotels are doing and make it help us at home?

Most of us don't change the sheets as often as a hotel because we don't have the person changeover. But how long CAN you go?

According to a survey over at Mothering.com, 30 percent of the respondents go every two weeks; another 30 percent do it just once a month.

And what about those towels?

I grew up in a "use a towel once" household, but my husband's family washed them just once a week. We tend to go several days with the same towel, while washcloths are washed after just once use.

In either case, you're using less water, less detergent, and less energy, which equals a greener life. And pretty much all of them are cheaper.

So does it matter what word you use for it?

 

Image via U-g-g-B-o-y-(-Phot ograph-World-Sense -)/Flickr