Where the Germs Hide in Hotels (What you should know)

When you’re traveling, more than likely you will stay at a hotel. Your home away from home.

Before you walk into your room and turn the light on, think about how many hands have touched that light switch. Or as you’re taking your shoes off, did you ever wonder if the rug was ever shampooed or even vacuumed?

While the room may look nice and neat with the bed nicely made and the covers turned down, there are germs lurking everywhere in the room.

A recent study by the University of Houston researchers presented to the American Society for Microbiology found that there were high levels of bacteria not only in the hotel rooms, but also on the cleaning cart, which means that the bacteria is spread from room to room.

Here are some areas to check out when when entering your`room.

Drinking glasses – The glasses in the bathroom are riddled with germs. Hidden cameras in some hotels revealed that hotel maids didn’t wash the glasses with soap and water. They rinsed them out and put them back on the counter. One hotel camera discovered a maid cleaning the glass with window cleaner. so, unless they supply a plastic cup that is wrapped in plastic, do not drink from the glasses.

Bedspreads – There is no way to know if hotel bedspreads are washed regularly. The best thing to do is to remove the spread and any decorative pillows.Also, be careful to look at the sheets. Bed bugs can lurk everywhere and get into everything. So, don’t put your luggage on the bed or floor for that matter, put it on the luggage rack. You do not want to bring home any unexpected guests.

TV remote – This was found to be the dirtiest item in the room. Rossen Reports did an investigation on the cleanliness of hotels and found “there was fecal contamination on the remote.” And another had shown MRSA – a strain of staph bacteria. It is recommended that you wash your hands before and after you’ve touched anything.

Coffee makers – The coffee makers in the hotel room can be nasty and never have been cleaned. They are like the glasses that get rinsed out and nothing more. If you desperately need your coffee right away, be sure to wash the pot out yourself and run a pot of hot water through the system before making your pot of coffee. A better option would be to nix the coffee machine and get some coffee to go at your nearby coffee shop.

Bathroom faucets, counter and sink – While it may look clean and shiney, it was discovered that some hotel maids use the same sponge used for cleaning the toilet as was used for cleaning the sink, faucet and counter, spreading germs everywhere.

Now while you’re not expecting the hotel room to be germ free, there are some ways you can combat the germs that are there.

• Before booking your room, check the ratings and see the comments that others have to say about that particular hotel.
• Bring disinfectant wipes and wipe down everything you plan on touching.
• Use antibacterial gel for added germ killing.
• Bring your own bottled water.
• Bring your own plastic cups.

It may seem like you’re being paranoid or a “germaphobia”… but who cares! Why subject yourself to someone else’s germs? Isn’t it enough you have your own?

-The Alternative Daily

Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/dirty-hotels-bed/story?id=9623874
http://www.today.com/money/germs-hotel-rooms-favorite-hiding-places-revealed-1D80293357