Traveling is fun, right? You expect to go to a nice hotel, relax, and have fun—not see roaches scurrying under the bed or come back with a rash because of dirty sheets. Sound far-fetched? You’d be surprised at how often this happens. Take a look at our list so that you can see things at your hotel that might be dirtier than you think.
The Bed
In particular, the bedspread. Sheets have to be washed, and chances are they have been. The bedspread, however, gets washed once a week or less. Not exactly a comforting thought, but hotels assume that people don’t use them that much, so there is no need to wash them. Always ask for clean linens. That should help.
The Mini-Bar
Not only does the mini-bar not get cleaned much, it may not be getting restocked either. Hotel workers have confessed that if guests tamper with the mini-bar, the hotel staff don’t know it because they’re not checking it like they should. For instance, the candy could expire in up to three months.
Couches
If your room comes with a crib, roll-away, or pull-out couch, you shouldn’t expect them to be clean. They’re considered rarely used, and as a result, they’re one thing that doesn’t always get the most attention. Because you’re traveling with a baby, this is disheartening to hear, but it is important so you can ensure that you clean it and your child doesn’t get sick.
Drinking Glasses
Unless your drinking glass is covered with plastic, clean it before using it. They are often dirty and have microorganisms on them from getting splashed all the time, and hotel staff don’t clean them as often as they should. Save yourself from getting sick by taking a few seconds to clean it.
The Toilet Handle
Considered the dirtiest area of a hotel room, you should sanitize the handle right away because it hardly ever gets cleaned. The toilet itself gets cleaned, but this area is often overlooked, and that can cause issues for you. Play it safe and sanitize it so that you don’t have to worry.
The Remote
The remote will rarely be clean in any capacity. It doesn’t matter what hotel you stay at; this is true. Many bacteria linger on these devices because people use them after going to the toilet, touching things, etc. Even if the remote looks brand new, give it an antibacterial wipe.
The Light Switch
No matter how good the staff is at a hotel, this area is always overlooked. Thus, the switches could be harboring seriously disgusting bacteria. The light switch, as a result, could have potentially dangerous viruses or pathogens lingering on it. The best tip is to always have a few sanitizing wipes with you and give them a swipe.
The Mattress
The mattress is big and heavy, so it doesn’t get cleaned much. Hotel workers have said they don’t have time, and it’s likely that it doesn’t get cleaned much at all. When you’re looking at the mattress, look for any discoloration, or check the wall behind the bed to see if there is mold or anything growing. If so, immediately get a new room.
The Floor
The floor does get cleaned. Kind of. The issue here is that a lot of the time, bacteria and even fecal matter can still linger. It’s recommended that you wear something on your feet at all times in the hotel for your own peace of mind. You can avoid staph and other infections as a result.
Drapes
Good for blocking out light, but these only get cleaned once a month. Also, it’s only dusting, not deep cleaning. There could be tons of things hiding in those drapes as a result. Drapes attract dust and all sorts of other things, so it’s good to be aware of this when you want to throw them back or yank them shut.
Coffee Set Up
The coffee maker is hardly ever cleaned either, and as a result, it should be cleaned with vinegar, but hotel guests aren’t walking around with that in their pocket. The best thing to do is to run it through the cleaning cycle or get some coffee brewer cleaning tablets. You can use wipes to clean the rest of the equipment.
Telephones
If you’re thinking about using the hotel phone, you might want to reconsider. Thousands of fingers and mouths have touched these, and you’ll need to clean them, or if you don’t want to do that, avoid them entirely for your own peace of mind. If you do want to clean it, you need to make sure you’re thorough with the wipes.
Hotel Information Packet
For some hotels, it’s a single sheet; for others, it’s an entire folder. Either way, they don’t get cleaned. Restaurants, for example, wash theirs or wipe them down every night. Hotels? Not so much, which means gross touching for you. Guests use these all the time, and you never know what’s on their hands.
Decorative Pillows
Decorative pillows look cute, and they’re fun. The problem is they don’t get cleaned, and in any case, when people come into hotel rooms, they throw them on the ground so they can plop down and relax. So because they’re not being cleaned, they’re dirty and you’re now absorbing that dirt.
Bathroom Counters
The counter of the bathroom has been cleaned, but not much. It’s been wiped down and had a gunk removal, but that’s it. Studies have suggested that the bacteria levels on the counter are the highest in the room, even at fancier four-star hotels. You might not want to put your toothbrush or other items there.
Clean The Surfaces
You shouldn’t have to clean the surfaces at hotels, but with this list, you can see that almost the entire room, besides the basics, is left untouched. Behind the scenes, hotel workers have said it’s not because they don’t try (in most cases), but because they don’t have time. By cleaning the surfaces yourself, you can ensure that everything is alright.
