How filthy is YOUR hotel room? Microbiologist reveals where bugs are most likely to be hiding
A night in a hotel is something many of us look forward to, but a new report may have you packing the cleaning spray next to your slippers.
Dr. Primrose Freestone, senior lecturer in clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester, has revealed the shocking truth about dirt and germs in hotel rooms.
No matter how they look to the naked eye, hotel rooms can be filthy no matter how much you spent to stay there, according to Dr. Freestone.
“Whoever stayed in your room before you left bacteria, mold and viruses all over furniture, carpets, curtains and surfaces,” she explained in an article about The conversation.
“What remains of these germ deposits depends on how efficiently your room is cleaned by the hotel staff.”
Despite how they look to the naked eye, hotel rooms can be filthy — no matter how much you spent to stay there, according to Dr. Freestone
Even before you even reach your hotel room, you’ll be faced with a major germ hot spot: the hotel elevator buttons (stock image)
Even before you even reach your hotel room, you’ll be confronted with a major germ hot spot: the hotel elevator buttons.
‘They are pressed all the time by many different people, which can transfer micro-organisms onto the button surface, and back onto the fingers of the presser,’ explains Dr Freestone.
Common door handles can harbor many germs, including nasty stomach flu, respiratory viruses and even Covid-19.
“Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after using a handle before touching your face or eating or drinking,” Dr Freestone advised.
While you might think of the toilet as a dirty place, bathrooms tend to be cleaned more thoroughly and are often the least bacteriologically colonized environments.
However, if the water cup isn’t disposable, Dr. Freestone says it’s worth cleaning it before using.
Sheets and pillows are often changed between residents, but the bedspread may not be.
‘These substances can become invisible reservoirs for pathogens – as good as a toilet seat,’ said Dr Freestone.
“Furniture made of soft fabric, such as cushions, chairs, curtains and blinds, is also difficult to clean and should only be cleaned to remove stains between guests.”
Devices in your room such as the telephone, kettle and coffee maker can be useful, but due to their hard surface they can also become germ sources.
“Viruses such as norovirus can live in an infectious form on hard surfaces for days, just like COVID-19 – and the typical time interval between room changes is often less than 12 hours,” Dr Freestone warned.
Devices included in your room, such as the telephone, kettle and coffee maker, can be useful, but their hard surfaces can also turn them into germ centers (stock image)
Meanwhile, bed bugs can lurk anywhere from the mattress to the headboard.
‘These blood-sucking insects are experts at secreting themselves into tight, confined spaces, where they remain dormant for months without feeding,’ said Dr Freestone.
‘Small spaces are the cracks and crevices of luggage, mattresses and bedding.’
Based on the findings, Dr. Freestone recommends washing and sanitizing your hands regularly and bringing your own slippers or thick socks so you don’t have to walk barefoot on the hotel carpet.
“Since higher-status hotels tend to have more room occupancy, a more expensive room in a five-star hotel does not necessarily mean greater cleanliness, as cleaning costs reduce profit margins,” she concluded.
“So wherever you stay, bring a pack of antiseptic wipes and use them on the hard surfaces in your hotel room.”
How dirty is YOUR phone? Stomach-chugging study reveals the ‘invisible life’ lurking on the average device – including E.Coli from human POO
Bacteria from both human and cockroach poop are among the secret germs lurking on our phones, experts warn.
E.Coli and fecal strep were found on 100 percent of smartphone screens in a study of the harmful microbes that plague our devices.
food poisoning germ, Bacillus cereus and pneumonia-causing S. aureus were also found on each of 20 swabs from 10 phones.
While none of them showed traces of salmonella, half did contain P. aeruginosa, a substance commonly found in cockroach feces.
Sarah McConomy, COO of Sales cellwho led the study said: ‘We were interested in finding out how often harmful bacteria are on our mobile phone screens and which types of bacteria are most common.
Taking your phone to the toilet was blamed for some of the germs found on screens