12 Things Hotels Don’t Clean as Well
Although bedsheets may be washed in the hotel washer between guests, other items in your room are not washed as often. This is what’s more likely to be dirty than it should in a hotel room.
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It’s common to fall asleep on the hotel bed after a long day of travel. You should get rid of that fancy bedspread before you succumb to exhaustion. Kelly Reynolds, associate professor of environmental and health at University of Arizona, said that these are the most filthy areas in a hotel room.
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Throw pillows
Although decorative pillows might look innocent, it is not uncommon for people to use them as a place to rest their heads. Guests often throw pillows on the ground right after they climb into bed. Shoes are tracked in dirt on the ground. You can bet that throw pillows don’t get steam cleaned regularly. For germaphobes, is a portable robot that can scan your bed and get rid of germs right away. You should bring your own essentials when you travel. These hotel amenities may not always be available.
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Sofas
The upholstery on your hotel room sofa will not be cleaned as often as the bedspreads. It’s a large decorative throw pillow. This could be contaminated with germs if people place their bags on top of it or other items that have collected dirt and grime. Although this may seem odd, hotels do not want to make rooms more clean. Hotel Ottilia in Copenhagen, Denmark uses a self-disinfecting technique to get rid of germs.
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Shower curtains
Some hotel cleaning checklist states that shower curtains at this three-star hotel should be cleaned only once per month. This is quite concerning considering the high risk of mildew. Bedspreads, blankets and mattress pads are also items that should be cleaned monthly. Are you concerned about the cleanliness of your hotel’s rooms? These are the warning indicators to be aware of.
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Bedside lamp switch
Many times, it’s the surfaces that we don’t consider the most important that end up being neglected by hotel staffs. The University of Houston conducted a study on hotel rooms and found that the bedside lamp switch was the most polluting item in the room. Think about this next time you reach for a remote to turn on a light.
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Bathroom counters
Your hotel room’s bathroom counter has likely been cleaned before you arrive. Unfortunately, this is not the same as disinfecting. A study called Hospital Hygiene Exposed examined the bacteria levels on various hotel rooms. The bathroom counter was found to have the highest number of colony-forming units, even in four-star hotels. This is the most likely place you will lay your toothbrush so you might want to disinfect it before you leave. These less-known hotels are essential for anyone who travels a lot.
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Coffee makers
Coffee makers, much like glassware, may only be given a quick rinse and not a thorough cleaning. Harrison Jacobs, Business insider states that the coffeemaker and electric kettle are the best indicators of cleanliness. They quickly get gross if they aren’t cleaned frequently, and I don’t mean with vinegar but with hot water. Because they are small and tedious to clean, coffeemakers and electric kettles often go unnoticed by less-trained hotels.
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TV remotes
Think about this: How often do your television remotes get cleaned at home? If we are being truthful, we don’t clean our TV remotes as often as we should. It can be difficult to clean all the crevices on the remote. If a housekeeping crew has to quickly turn rooms, these bacteria hotbeds might only get a quick check. To give your remote a thorough cleaning, bring disinfecting wipes. These germy facts about the remote of your TV are important.
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Hotel information folder
Restaurant menus are often wiped clean at night, but hotel information folders are not. It’s not so. These books, which are usually found on the bedside table or desk, contain information about amenities and in-room menus. They may be read by guests, but they are unlikely to be cleaned up by housekeeping.
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Draperies
While hotel window coverings can block out sunlight when you want to sleep in, they attract dust and dirt. BuzzFeed compiled a cleaning list for three-star hotels and found that curtains are only cleaned once per month, along with sheers or lampshades. Worried about germs? These are the hotels chains that you should avoid.
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Carpets
According to The Cheat Sheet, carpet cleaning can be expensive. Even for large hotels, it could cost about $10 per room. Carpets can go unclean for long periods of time. Carpets are not truly clean if you vacuum them once in a while to remove any debris from guests.
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Telephones
Nowadays, most people make calls using their smartphones instead of dialing home on the hotel’s room phone. In-room phones can still be used to call the front desk to request items from housekeeping or order room service. They are still one of the most bacteria-laden items found in a hotel room. According to USA Today, hotels won’t make in-room telephones obsolete for security reasons. If you intend to use it, make sure to wipe them down again with your personal disinfectant. These are the 12 first things you need to check in your hotel room after you have checked in.