What is the germiest place in a hotel room?
For some time now, the high season seems to not exist. In today's consumer society, any month of the year seems like a good time for a vacation getaway, whether alone, as a couple or as a family.
In this situation, in general, the favourite option of the vast majority of people who go on vacation is hotels, and the reason is obvious: tranquillity and having everything figured out, from the bed to the food.
But what is sometimes idyllic in the traveller's mind can become uncomfortable when the guest begins to wonder who has stayed in that same room.
And, no matter how much you clean, viruses, germs and dirt are left behind. The question is, what is the germiest place in a hotel room?
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"The entrance light switch" is the most contaminated element in a hotel room, a room inspector told The Washington Post.
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In fact, one of the warnings he gives to every hotel user is to check certain points of a room before starting to use it.
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Curiously, remember that not too long ago, "the remote control was the object that contained the most germs in the entire room." Things have changed.
Obviously, his data is based on his experience having reviewed hundreds and thousands of rooms, since he already knows what the hot spots in the room are.
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For example, another element to take into account, from a viral point of view, is the handlebar of the main door.
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And among the most viral elements of a hotel room is also the thermostat, touched, perhaps, by 99% of people who have passed through a hotel room.
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And what about the bed? Well, the bed deserves special attention. Due to size, time spent on it and contact with it, the inspector admits that the first thing he does is check the mattress for bed bugs. Yes, bed bugs.
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And worse is the case of sofa beds, if they have them. The problem with this item is that "it can't be cleaned as thoroughly as other furniture in the room."
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And without even getting out of bed, this room inspector mentions an element that everyone has their reservations about: decorative cushions. "They're super full of germs." Yes, there were reasons to be suspicious of them.
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After checking the beds, it's time to take a look behind the sofa and check what's there. In some hotels, moving a sofa means finding some highly unpleasant surprises.
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Another element that always has been suspicious are the curtains. On the one hand, they are easy to clean, just take them to the laundry. On the other hand, it involves a removal and subsequent re-hanging process that complicates cleaning.
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The question to ask with hotel curtains is, how often are they washed? In some cases, the curtains stand up on their own. In others, they could walk to the laundry room alone.
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Something similar happens with the glasses and cups arranged in the rooms for clients, which no matter how much they are cleaned, the recommendation is to avoid them, since they are also a breeding ground for germs, according to the inspector.
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And what can we say about the coffee maker, in those rooms that have one. In this case, the inspector gives a simple example: "I have seen on TikTok that there are people who cook ramen or wash clothes in the coffee pot." Yikes.
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In fact, he does not recommend using the iron either, if you have one, since clients also use it for culinary purposes, and gives the example of people making grilled cheese.
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On the other hand, this professional, closer to CSI and Grishom than one might imagine, has two non-negotiable commandments. The first, cover the room's peephole, if it has one, for privacy reasons.
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The second, always wear slippers in the room, especially on rugs and carpets or, as she calls it, "the paradise of dirt and mold." May you have a magnificent stay.
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