Note: This article pertaining to 15 Germ Hot Spots in Hotel Rooms was originally published on Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 3:57 in the afternoon and has been updated.
The last thing you really want to think about are the germ spots that are in your hotel room just after you arrive. All you really want to do is relax and watch a movie or program on the television; or perhaps refresh yourself with a nice hot shower before retiring for the night…
15 Germ Hot Spots in Hotel Rooms
…but the reality is that the hotel room or suite in which you are staying likely contains germ hot spots — most of which will likely not affect your health in any adverse way.
Still, being aware of where they are located could help prevent you from feeling ill or getting sick.
Without further ado, here are the 6 germ hot spots in hotel rooms in no particular order.
1. Remote Controls
Do not ever assume that remote controls are cleaned prior to you using them, as potential contaminants — such as Escherichia coli, which is more commonly known as E. coli — may have been left by guests that occupied the room or suite prior to you. This caution can even extend to hotel properties where remote controls are purportedly sanitized for your protection and placed in a plastic bag, as shown in the above photograph.
You could sanitize the remote control to help minimize your exposure to such bacteria and germs; but a better idea is to take a tissue and place the remote control in a clear or translucent plastic bag in order to control the television.
If it is provided by the hotel or resort property, a disposable shower cap usually works quite well. You can also use the bag that is provided in the ice bucket — unless you want to use it to get ice from the ice machine. If you do not plan on sending out your clothing to be cleaned, a laundry bag could work as well — although they are usually rather opaque.
You can also bring your own plastic bag, if you are so inclined.
2. Ice Buckets
Speaking of ice buckets, the ones found in rooms at hotel and resort properties can contain a host of different types of germs. As one of many examples, norovirus can be contracted from prior guests who may have used the ice bucket as a convenient receptacle to catch the result of their reverse peristalsis — which is also known as vomit; and could happen more often than you might think.
Keep in mind that by extension, the outsides of ice buckets also may not be cleaned as well as you would automatically expect.
Use the disposable plastic bag that is usually folded inside of the ice bucket as an insert to collect your ice from the ice machine — which in and of itself is not guaranteed to dispense clean ice.
Fortunately, I prefer not to have my drinks iced down, so I avoid them anyway for drinking purposes. That plastic bag is probably better used to help provide ice for the ice bucket instead for the remote control to the television.
3. Coffee Machines
Although coffee machines are arguably cleaner than in the past due to technology in the form of machines that are manufactured for Keurig, Illy, and other types of coffee, they can still harbor mold and respiratory viruses — even after only one year of use.
If the coffee machine contains an old pod or shows signs of mold inside of it, just avoid using it altogether and request a replacement unit from a member of the staff at the hotel or resort property, as taking a risky chance is nonsensical.
You are likely better off skipping the coffee, tea, or hot chocolate that is provided in the room altogether and grab your hot beverage elsewhere — such as the lobby of the hotel or resort property if it is offered as a complimentary amenity; the restaurant in the hotel or resort property; or an external merchant that sells hot beverages…
…but if you really want to enjoy the coffee in the comfort of your room without having to get dressed, ensure that the machine is the type that requires a single-use pod — or, if possible, use the microwave oven instead. If possible, rinse the inside of the device with boiling water. Then, use a disposable cup that is designed to hold hot liquids from which to drink your coffee, because…
4. Glassware and Ceramic Coffee Mugs
…even with strict cleaning protocols in place, you can never be sure if those glasses and ceramic coffee mugs that are found in the bathroom or at the minibar area have been properly washed.
In fact, a now-legendary undercover hidden-camera exposé on the cleanliness of glassware in rooms at hotel and resort properties from a local television station in Atlanta found that at some hotel properties, glasses and ceramic coffee mugs received nothing more than a cursory wipe or rinse from the sink that was not nearly enough to effectively call the drinking vessel clean…
…and at other hotel properties — including upscale and luxury hotel properties, where glasses are more prevalent — the same gloves, tools, and mysterious colored liquid were used to clean the glasses and ceramic coffee mugs after they were used to clean the toilet and the sink in the bathroom.
Sometimes the glassware and ceramic coffee mugs are not even replaced between guests if they appear to be clean enough.
The glasses and ceramic coffee mugs were cleaned properly at some hotel properties — but to guarantee that the glassware and ceramic coffee mugs are acceptably and thoroughly clean in the room in which you are staying is virtually impossible.
If you must use the glasses or the ceramic coffee mugs that are provided in the room, use boiling water to clean them prior to using them to mitigate the risk of contracting potentially harmful microorganisms.
Fortunately, an increasing number of lodging companies have been providing disposable paper cups that are wrapped in plastic and can handle hot or cold liquids. This not only ensures that the cups are clean and were never used; but they also avoid a hazard if they break or shatter into shards after being dropped.
5. Bathroom Faucets and Counters
Just the mere fact that the rim of a glass might have been resting directly on the counter near the sink in the bathroom may already justify it as being not clean enough for the consumption of liquids, as the rim is what your lips touch when you drink out of them. That little paper “doily” on which an upside-down glass might be resting may offer little comfort in mitigating potentially affecting your health adversely — especially if the glass had touched contaminated surfaces prior to being placed on the paper.
Studies have found that bathrooms at hotel and resort properties can potentially be even dirtier than aboard airplanes – especially the countertops and faucets in those bathrooms.
If the counter, faucet, and vanity is as poorly cleaned as the aforementioned glassware and ceramic coffee mugs, the chances of you contracting a gastronomical infection, a respiratory virus, or some other illness increase — especially if the same tools are used to clean the toilet, which means that fecal matter from someone else may possibly be lurking in those areas…
…and those same tools are used from one guest room to another — often without being cleaned in between rooms.
I use either clean towels or tissues to cover the surface of the counter; and I place my toiletries on top of them. I also do not use the first couple of tissues from the opened tissue box. I use tissues only when I know the items will not be wet; and I place the tissues at the farthest end of the counter away from the faucet. Sometimes I may place a couple of layers of tissues — but I rarely use more than two tissues for this purpose. Once I am finished with the towels or tissues, I will use them to wipe the counter top.
6. Bath Tubs
Did you know that a bath tub can be infested with so many germs that it could be harboring up to 40 times more bacteria than a toilet seat?
Moreover, bath tubs that are equipped with jets can harbor even more bacteria — and like the other items in the bathroom, they are not always completely disinfected.
Although you still risk exposure on your feet and select other parts of your body, taking a shower is a better bet when in a hotel room than indulging in a good soak…
…and if a hot soapy bath is truly what you want to experience — or you want your body to be massaged by jets — go ahead; but follow your experience with a long hot thorough cleansing of your entire body in the shower afterwards to get ready for your day or before going to bed.
7. Towels
The loops in towels that are manufactured with terry cloth can ensnare the hair of a member of the housekeeping staff or a previous guest — even though the towel has likely been cleaned.
I have read many times how disgusted people get when discussing — or, even worse, witnessing — someone clipping their fingernails or toenails in places such as aboard an airplane or in a lounge. One of the components which comprises hair is keratin, which is a protein also found in fingernails and toenails…
…so applying similar concerns of sanitation to hair as that of fingernails and toenails is not too much of a stretch. Would you use a towel in a hotel room if you found the clipping of a fingernail or toenail embedded in it — let alone a hair?
Of course, a hair is not nearly as conspicuous; but it is still something which one might not want to find in a towel — even if that hair was washed with the towel numerous times.
If you are really squeamish about possibly finding the hair of someone else in a hotel towel, take a moment to raise the towel to a light source, ensuring that the light source is behind the towel, as shown in the photograph at the top of this article. You will then be able to detect more easily anomalies such as hair — or questionable stains such as the ones I found on one towel during a stay at a hotel property near the international airport which serves the greater metropolitan area of Madrid.
If you do find hair in the towel you never used, place it on the floor or in the bathtub to let housekeeping know that it needs cleaning — or contact housekeeping for replacement towels…
…and as disgusting as it is, keep in mind that finding feces on at towel is unfortunately not impossible…
8. Bedding
The main reason why people stay in hotel or resort properties is to get a good night’s sleep while they are away from home — and nothing contributes more to that important rest than a clean and comfortable bed…
…but even if the sheets, pillow cases, or other bedding are ever so slightly soiled, consider requesting new bedding before settling in for the night — such as requesting extra clean pillow cases that you can change on the pillows yourself — as that could be a possible indication of the rare occurrence that the bedding might not have been replaced or changed prior to your arrival. Unwashed sheets, blankets and pillowcases can potentially harbor organisms that cause sexually transmitted diseases and other maladies.
That stain on your bed could be a permanent one that has been cleaned multiple times — but do you really know that?
I could not be assured of that, which is why not long after I checked in to a specific hotel property, I eventually spent the night in a rental car instead because the property was revoltingly disgusting — with plenty of photographs of my experience to prove that observation — and also because all of the other lodging options within 25 miles had no vacancy.
One last item of importance: you should be vigilant about looking out for any infestation of bed bugs. For additional information, please read about the five ways on wow to prevent bed bugs from coming home with you
9. Throw Pillows, Duvets, Comforters, and Other Decorative Items
Many people do not use the decorative throw pillows that are on the bed when they first walk into the room at a hotel or resort property. Some guests put them on another piece of furniture. Others throw them haphazardly onto the floor, on which someone might step on them.
Some guests may remove the comforter before going to sleep. Others might unknowingly kick off the comforter onto the floor while they sleep.
Regardless, throw pillows, duvets, comforters, runners, and other decorative items rarely get washed, laundered, or cleaned between guests.
Technically — although I personally do not use them — the decorative throw pillow does not have to be removed from the bed as long as there are clean bedsheets separating you from that decorative throw. After all, what if you tend to get cold easily — or what if you simply sleep better covered with a heavier blanket?
As for the cushions, I always remove them from the bed, as I never really understood their purpose other than for aesthetic reasons.
10. Carpets and Floors
I knew that carpets in rooms at hotel and resort properties were often not cleaned deeply because I would see the dirt and brown film gradually collect on my socks for the duration of my stay whenever I removed my shoes. Floors in general can be breeding grounds for bacteria and germs — and I do not want my footwear to be an extension of those breeding grounds.
Think about what multiple guests potentially track in to the room with their shoes, luggage, and other belongings — day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
An increasing number of upscale hotel and resort properties have been swapping out carpets for hard flooring — with or without area rugs — for easier cleaning.
A large bath towel can be used as a floor mat if you want to be stationary on the floor.
When I see a pair of disposable slippers wrapped in plastic that were provided in a room at a hotel or resort property, I use them — and after I use them, I place them either back in their original plastic wrapping or in a different bag to minimize my impact on the environment…
…but my bare feet never touch the floor in a room at a hotel or resort property.
11. Upholstered Furniture
Sofas, chairs, and other furniture that is upholstered are typically not easy to clean thoroughly — especially in a timely manner when members of the housekeeping staff are trying to get all of the rooms for which they are responsible clean during their shifts. Unlike linens, towels, and other items which can be easily tossed in the washing machine to be cleaned, upholstered furniture can often go for periods of time without regular upkeep. As one of many examples, stains from bodily fluids — which are not always clearly visible to the naked eye — can harbor a variety of bacteria and viruses.
Spraying disinfectant on upholstered furniture could somewhat alleviate the microorganisms; but that still does not take the place of a real thorough cleaning — and not much else can be done about it.
12. Desks and Tables
Desks and tables are frequently used — but despite their hard surfaces that are touched often by guests, they may not be cleaned regularly. Dirty laundry might be placed on them, for example.
Because their hard surfaces are fairly easy to clean, wiping them down fortunately does not require much effort.
You can either clean your work space well with a sanitizing wipe before setting down your laptop computer, papers, or using it to eat — or you can place several clean tissues or a clean spare towel over the surface for a temporarily clean space on which to work or eat.
13. Spots That are Overlooked or Difficult to Reach
Chandeliers, high ceilings, curtain rods, ceiling fans, and shower heads are five of many different items and areas of the room that are overlooked or difficult to reach pertaining to cleaning a room — and therefore, they are often neglected. Just ask the spider who wove a web in the far corner of the room near the ceiling.
Also included in that list are anything that may have been in drawers or cabinetry for a prolonged period of time — such as silverware and appliances in a kitchenette — or anything that may have been handled by guests that are unbeknownst to members of housekeeping teams.
A charging port next to the bed that is coated in dust or a lamp on the side of the bed that is caked in residue are also clues that basic cleaning may have been done in the room; but the details were missed.
14. Surfaces That are Touched Often
Light switches, alarm clocks, and thermostats — and to a lesser extent, electric hair dryers and safes — are some of the items in the room that are touched often by virtually everyone: guests, visitors, and members of the housekeeping staff.
Either disinfect or sanitize those surfaces prior to use — or use a clean tissue as a buffer between you and the surface that is often touched.
15. Telephones
With the advent of smartphones and other portable electronic devices, telephones that are in the room are not used nearly as often as in the past. Instead of calling the front desk, exchanges of communication can be easily handled at any hour of the day with text messages.
Still, telephones can still harbor the aforementioned E. coli — as well methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is more commonly known as MRSA and can cause dangerous skin infections. Additionally, respiratory viruses can be passed on to you from previous guests who have spoken into — or handled — the handset, which is held close to the face and mouth when in use and is considered to be a magnet for germs that some members of the housekeeping staff may refuse to clean altogether due to the high risk of coming into contact with what may be luring on it.
The easy solution is to use the speakerphone feature, which is available on most telephones in rooms at hotel and resort properties these days. You can also use alcohol wipes on the handset, buttons, and mouthpiece to help sanitize a telephone…
…or skip the landline altogether and stick to your mobile telephone.
Who uses the telephone inside of a hotel room anymore? I usually do not order room service; and if I absolutely need to use the telephone — well, that is where those aforementioned first couple of tissues from the opened tissue box come in quite handy.
Final Boarding Call
What if I were to tell you that the entire list in this article — which was compiled from multiple resources — can basically be considered useless…
…especially as long as you properly wash your hands?
“While I realize that there is no need to be a germaphobe or a mysophobe — as the defense system of the human body can be remarkably efficient in thwarting off carriers of diseases — I still prefer to take what I consider to be reasonable precautions to ensure that my health does not suffer…
“…and the worst ‘disease’ I have suffered over at least the past ten years is a minor cold or rare headache at best. Why take chances?”
The reason to which I attribute is proper washing of my hands; and one study suggests that many people do not wash their hands properly. I have trained myself not to rub my eyes or touch vulnerable parts of my body after I have handled an object which may be suspect in terms of cleanliness until after I have properly washed my hands. Furthermore, I rarely use sanitizer or disinfectant.
Here are some suggestions on how to properly wash your hands:
- Wet your hands with clean running water — warm or cold, although I prefer warm to hot — and apply soap
- Rub your hands together to create a lather and be sure to throughly scrub well the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails
- Continue rubbing your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds; and you can hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice as a way to time yourself
- Rinse your hands well under running water
- Dry your hands using a clean towel, a hand dryer; or simply air dry your hands
A few germs typically do not hurt people, as exposure to microorganisms usually — but not always — strengthens immunity.
Be sure that you also read about 6 of the germiest places on the airplane and how to avoid them and where the most germs lurk at airports and aboard airplanes.
What are your thoughts pertaining to germ hot spots in hotel rooms — and what do you do to protect yourself, if anything?
All photographs ©2014, ©2015, ©2016, ©2017, ©2018, ©2020, ©2022, ©2023, and ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
