10 Things At Hotels You Should Avoid Touching

The average hotel room is filthier than a typical home, school or even a plane, according to a study. The cleaning staff has a quick turnaround for rooms and rarely do they disinfect the random items such as your ice bucket.

As if there weren’t already plenty of things about hotel rooms that should scare you, now we add germs and the possibility of contracting an illness to the list.

A study titled Hotel Hygiene Exposed found the highest bacteria filled areas were the bathroom counter and remote control. While an ABC News Investigation “uncovered hotel drinking glasses that were so dirty they could pose a serious risk to your health.”

Don’t let a clean looking room fool you; even the most expensive and attractive hotel rooms have hidden germs. Just because the bed is nicely made, doesn’t mean the sheets were just cleaned; and although your carpet may look spotless, that doesn’t mean it was just vacuumed.

Some of the most frequently touched places – phone, light switches, pillow cases – are contaminated with harmful bacteria and germs. Always remember to properly inspect your room and bring disinfectant wipes with you so that you can wipe down all of these germ infested objects.

Believe it or not, one of the dirtiest items in your hotel room is the remote control. The cleaning staff has a quick turnaround for rooms and rarely do they disinfect the random items, such as your remote. Scary Fact: Your remote may have the same amount of bacteria as your toilet seat.

According to an investigation at five of the top hotel chains in the country, phones were teeming with bacteria. People touch them a lot, but they also breathe into them, which causes germs to spread easily. The truth is that most maids don’t clean them often. If you’re trying to avoid the cold and flu, bring disinfectant wipes with you and wipe down the phone before you use it.

Be careful before you touch the bathroom counter, especially the sink. According to a study titled Hotel Hygiene Exposed, in the 3-star hotels they tested, yeast, gram-positive cocci and gram-positive cocci, type 2 were all found on the bathroom counter.

Whatever you do make sure you check your mattress and comforter before sleeping in it. Better yet, bring your own comforter to the hotel with you instead. Bed bugs like to hide in the crevices of the mattresses, headboards and box springs; don’t be surprised if they have made their way to the comforter.

This is another item hotel maids tend to skip over. They are full of contamination and germs. If that’s not enough, the ice machine itself is another item that rarely gets cleaned. Tip: If you really need ice, call the front desk and ask for plastic bags to hold ice. This way you are avoiding drinking ice cubs filled with harmful bacteria.