Do you feel comfortable in your hotel room? Read this!
Imagine this: You had a long road trip, and you just arrived at the hotel room and can finally relax. The first thing you do is to jump in the middle of the bed, take a breath, and prepare for a shower. For some, this might sound like one of the best feelings in the world, but in reality, it can be a good idea to never do that first thing when entering a hotel room.
From time to time, we all end up staying in a hotel room, and it is better to know the dos and don’ts before checking in. Maybe you are one of those people who is very careful when choosing a hotel room, and you make sure you take one that is not too close to the elevator because you don’t want the noise to wake you up. Or you never take the rooms that have a view that goes into the main street because you don’t want to hear the cars.
But what about the cleanliness of those rooms? Are hotel rooms as clean as hotel managers want us to believe they are? Health inspectors, microbiologists, and other experts know that hotels are full of germs, and sometimes the staff is not able to clean everything properly.
Read on and find out some of the nastiest secrets about hotel rooms!
The hotel room’s coffee machine
What a bummer! You really wanted that coffee in the morning without needing to go downstairs for breakfast. But you’ve used the coffee machine before, and nothing bad happened. What has changed now?
Well, nothing changed really. You’ve just been lucky. That’s all! Coffee machines need to be thoroughly cleaned more often than you think. When this is not happening, mold and bacteria are taking over very fast.
For example, researchers from the University of Valencia in Spain decided to examine nine Nespresso machines that had been used for one year. They found out that all of the machines had a high amount of germs and bacteria.
And keep in mind that the machines analyzed in the study were not from hotel rooms. Even if housekeepers are normally supposed to clean them, they still carry germs from one room to another while cleaning. Also, many times the hotel room machines are not even cleaned the right way. Sometimes the same towel is used for all the machines on the same floor! You don’t want to drink your coffee from that, for sure!
The TV remote
Have you ever thought about how often someone cleans the TV remotes found in hotel rooms? If you did but don’t have an answer to your question, you need to know that the University of Houston in Texas led a study and found out that TV remotes are some of the most unsanitary items you can find in a hotel.
Next time you plan to watch the TV in your hotel room, remember that the remotes are the main devices that transmit viruses. According to research, one of the tested remotes was contaminated with E. coli!
This means that people were using the restroom and then using the remote without washing their hands. This is not something strange, but we want to remind you that you should definitely use some sanitary wipes and clean the remote before using it.
The bedspreads
Housekeepers are instructed to change the bedsheets after each guest. This is a standard practice, and all hotels should follow it. Most of them are indeed changing the beds after every check-out, but the bedspreads are only changed once per month or once per week.
Yes, we know this is gross, but this is the reality. The first thing you should do when entering a hotel room is take the bedspreads out of your bed and place them somewhere in the room where you don’t plan to sleep or touch.
Well, now this is not true for all hotels; some are changing the bedspread after every stay, but you can never be sure, so your best bet is to remove them from the bed. This is the safest way to approach this, and after all, your health is the most important.
The bathroom counters
A hotel room is dirtier than a typical room or even dirtier than a plane! After more studies that were conducted in all kinds of hotels, from motels to 5-star hotels, it has been found that the bathroom counter is one of the most contaminated surfaces in the rooms.
But the terms counter here also include the sink. Fecal bacteria was found in hotel sinks, and this is something really serious because getting infected with such bacteria may lead to serious illness.
Now, we know that you can’t avoid the sink and bathroom counter your entire trip, and you don’t even have to do that. But you’ll need to be prepared and always have a small bottle of disinfectant with you. Or some alcohol wipes; use them to clean these surfaces you’ll need to touch and use. They work too. You’ll use them to clean these surfaces you’ll need to touch and use.
The ice bucket and the hotel’s ice
Maybe you feel like opening a bottle of wine or champagne, but hold up because that ice bucket you have in your hotel room is not that safe. You should think twice before using it because there is no actual code stipulating that staff should clean the buckets after each stay, even if they’ve been used.
But this is not all. Ok, the buckets can be contaminated because they are not properly cleaned, but did you know that the hotel’s ice itself can be unsafe to use? For example, 19 hotels in the Minneapolis area were to blame for outbreaks caused by dirty ice machines.
So, next time you might want to ask the bartender to not add ice to your drinks!
The bathtub
Unfortunately, the bathtub is also affected. This is another place you should clean before use. We know you want to take that relaxing bath, but please make sure to clean it. Housekeepers generally clean the bathtubs, but depending on the hotel, there is a chance the bathtub is dirty.
Over time, a film can form inside the bathtub, and it can hold various organisms. Taking a bath in your hotel room can sound fancy, but in reality, you can get ill. This is very rare, but this can happen. A quick cleanup can make a big difference.
Hotel rooms are nice and comfortable, but you should keep an eye out for hidden dirt and germs. Always have some disinfectant wipes with you because this can keep you healthier. Avoid touching the things we’ve listed here before cleaning them. Protecting yourself ensures a worry-free experience.
Have you ever had a bad experience with your hotel room? If yes, share your story with us in the comments.
Always be safe and carry a pack of sanitizer wipes: Sani-Hands Hand Sanitizer Wipes 100 Packets Per Box
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