When you check into a hotel room, everything may look sparkling clean, but the crisp linens and spotless bathroom may give you a false sense of cleanliness. The thing is, some of the dirtiest places in hotel rooms may be hiding in plain sight.
Part of the problem is that housekeeping staff doesn’t have enough time to deep clean every room every day. Under standard conditions, a housekeeping pair only has about 30 minutes to clean a room top to bottom, according to Enza Laterrenia, head of housekeeping at Canne Bianche Lifestyle & Hotel.
That means they probably can’t get everything that needs to be done and these spots tend to be the dirtiest in hotel rooms.
- Decorative pillows - Those throw pillows on the bed or sitting area, along with those decorative runners on the foot of the bed don’t get washed often, if at all. So any germaphobes may want to move them out of the way ASAP after checking in rather than put your face on them when lying down.
- High-touch surfaces - Travel advisor Rani Cheema says hotel room phones are the most unsanitary item. “If there’s an actual phone and I need to pick it up, I am grossed out by the receiver. “I think it’s the mouth part, because no one’s cleaning that.” Higher-end hotels may give remotes, light switches and phones a wipe down before every check-in, but don’t count on it.
- Carpets - Laterrenia explains, “They tend to trap dust and bacteria, making them one of the more demanding items to sanitize.”
- Hidden contamination spots - “Travel & Leisure” A-List advisor Maria Diego warns about the stuff tucked away, like barware inside drawers, that may be handled by guests without housekeeping staff knowing. She’s also concerned about bathtubs with jets, noting she won’t take a bath at a hotel unless it’s a “super luxe five star hotel and only if it’s a non-jet bathtub.”
- Hard to reach spots - We’re talking high ceilings, chandeliers, ceiling fans, curtain rods and shower heads, which may be overlooked during a standard hotel room cleaning, so they may be dirtier than they look.
Source: Travel and Leisure