After a long flight, you might look forward to entering your hotel room to take a nap or relax with the TV on.
And without knowing it, you jump on the bed and grab the remote, feeling comfortable in your “clean room.”
But what you might not know is there are several areas of your hotel room that are filthy and full of germs – as they never get cleaned.
After all, with housekeeping staff forced to provide a quick turnaround so guests can check in early (after the previous guests checked out late), who really has time to deep clean a room?
So before you get too comfy in your next hotel room, make sure you bring sanitizing wipes and pay attention to these areas.
Remote Control
Think about how many grimy dirty hands have touched the remote control you are about to use.
From small children, to guests who refuse to wash their hands after the restroom – a hotel TV remote is loaded with bacteria and germs.
And we’re talking hardcore stuff like E. Coli, MRSA, and Staph.
Before you use the remote, wipe it down with Lysol wipes.
Or cover it with a shower cap first, and use it that way.
Bedspreads
Before you curl up under a bedspread and snuggle your face against it to stay warm – take note the person before you did the same thing.
And the person before them… and the person before them…
…all without the actual bedspread being washed in between.
Yeah, the hotel staff wash your sheets between guests (usually).
But blankets and bedspreads?
Not so much.
Maybe every couple of months.
So the blanket on your bed is covered with everybody else’s body sweat and fluid.
Gross.
Throw it on the floor and just use a sheet.
Or, if you packed a shawl/travel blanket, curl up under that instead.
Drinking Glasses/Ice Bucket
If you’re thirsty and use your hotel glass, know it was probably only cleaned with soap and water in the sink (maybe) and towel dried.
Which means you are drinking from the same cup as the person before yo.
Stick to bottled water instead.
And know if you drink the coffee from the pot in your room – it is most likely full of mold – as the chances hotel staff disinfect and clean it (ever) are slim.
Surface Areas
Again, your hotel cleaning crew is trying to quickly make the room look presentable to the next guest.
Sure, they’ll clean the obvious toothpaste and soap out of the sink.
But very few take the time to truly disinfect all of the surface areas dirty hands touch – light switches, doorknobs, toilet handle, faucet handles, etc.
Give them a quick clean with a Lysol wipe before you use them – don’t assume previous guests have the same cleanliness standards you do.
Don’t Freak Out Too Much
We’re not expecting you to walk around your hotel room cleaning every area from top to bottom.
Or have a panic attack because there are germs in your room.
But a few sensible actions to clean the obvious filthy areas in your room are smart, and will hopefully help you avoid getting sick on your next trip so you can actually enjoy it!
Besides that… sleeping with someone else’s sweat, snot, spit, tears, blood, and who knows what else is just gross in itself.
