Why is this city in China sticking microchips in hotel bed sheets?

When were these sheets last washed? They might tell you. Photo / Getty Images

It's the thought that's skimmed across most of our minds when checking into a hotel room.

When was the last time someone slept in this bed, and how long has it been since these sheets saw the inside of a washing machine?

Well, now a city in China is giving tourists who stay at certain hotels and hostels a glimpse of how their laundry service works by embedding a microchip in bed linen that reveals the date of its last wash.

The chips will be scanned by people staying at the hotels to tell you when they were last washed. Photo / Getty Images

According to The Times, many people in China will often bring their own bed linen when staying in hotels because the cleanliness of sheets and towels is often not up to scratch.

The chips will be scanned by people staying at the hotels and hostels using the Wuhan Kunteng Laundry, which provide cleaning services.

The water-resistant chip, according to Chinese state-run media outlet Xinhua, can be scanned by a mobile phone, which gives a QR code. Located inside the corner of each sheet or towel, the chip is also heat resistant so can withstand plenty of washes.

Located inside the corner of each sheet the chip is water and heat resistant to withstand washes. Photo / Getty Images

It's not the first time China has dabbled with technology to make a hotel stay better for guests.

According to CNN, the Hangzhou Marriott Hotel Qianjiang and Sanya Marriott Hotel Dadonghai Bay have become the first of Marriott's international properties to introduce facial recognition technology for check-in.