MUCKY mattresses have become the latest focus of Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board.
The association has become the first tourism body in the UK to champion the cleanliness of beds in accommodation pro-viders across the resort.
Manchester-based Pure Clean has helped one Bispham holiday apartment clean up in the bedroom department by
sorting out its mattresses.
It has just completed its first contract in the resort at the five-star rated Beach House apartments on Queen's Promenade.
The pilot project has proved so successful the owners are reporting bookings up on the strength of having professionally-cleaned mattresses.
The first proud owners of a hygiene certificate and owners of the Beach House, Estelle and Darren Livesey, urged other hoteliers to do the same.
Mrs Livesey said: "We realised no one else was doing this or were even willing to discuss it openly.
"Pure Clean convinced us of the benefits of cleaning our mattresses once a year, and the response from our customers has been excellent with several new bookings as a result.
"The accommodation indu-stry standards do not cover cleaned mattresses but maybe it is time VisitBritain looked at this, especially as our guests spend a lot of time on our mattresses. We're delighted Blackpool is helping to take the lead."
The cleaners use a state-of-the-art steam cleaners which uses temperatures reaching 165-degs Celsius, which is the Government's recommendation for getting rid of dust mites.
Managing director of Pure Clean, Rohan Brooks, said: "Dirty mattresses are in fact a major cause for complaint in the tourism industry but, treated properly, provide allergy-free rooms and reduce the risk of fire.
"This may sound a bit of a taboo subject but it is a very serious one indeed, as dirt accumulated in mattresses can provoke infections and bites, leading to asthma and eczema, not to mention unhappy customers."
Lesley Lloyd, chairman of the tourist board, said: "Rohan has some frightening examples in little glass jars of what lies beneath what may look a clean mattress.
"The tourist board is keen to encourage improvements to the quality of the visitor experience and fully supports Rohan."