Hotel Rooms Infested with Germs Bug Guests

Budget Lodging is No Bargain if Bacteria and Fungi Ruin Travel Plans

Apr 10, 2009 Mary King

Saving money could cost a bundle as summer travelers opt for low-priced rooms. While no hotel is germ-free, a few pointers will help vacationers avoid medical treatment.

The economic crunch is going to take a bite out of many vacation plans this summer. Travelers will no doubt be tempted to cut back expenses by staying in cheaper hotel rooms. Before making reservations, think about what lies behind the hotel room door. Consider what might be sticking to the walls, and what's crawling on the shower floor. Travelers that spend less than fifty dollars a night for a room sometimes end up with nasty under-the-cover surprises.

Be sure to pack disinfectant wipes before hitting the road; and by all means, for those who are squeamish, bring bed sheets from home. Think the rooms are cleaned daily? Read on to see what the housekeepers miss.

Don't Touch These Items in Hotel Rooms without Disinfecting Them First

Door Knobs ... Germs collect on the entry door, bathroom door, and balcony door if there is one. The same goes for drawer pulls on the dresser.
Light Switches ... Table lamp switches and room switches are not cleaned by the maids. Just imagine what germs lurk on the reading lamp switches over the bed.
Faucets ... These may or may not be cleaned daily, but why take a chance.
Telephone ... A breeding ground for bacteria. How many persons have picked up the phone? How many left germs on the earpiece and mouthpiece? Does one really want to know?
TV Remote ... It may look innocent, but the remote is likely to carry food bacteria and all sorts of disgusting germs. Guests usually keep it close by when they eat or put it on the nightstand when they go to bed.
Hair Dryer, Ice Bucket, Thermostat ... Clean all with disinfectant wipes. Be wary of using room microwaves and refrigerators unless one cleans them first.
Alarm Clock ... It's by the bed. There's no telling who did what before touching it.
Bible, Pens/Pencils, and Laminated Menu Ads ... All are touched but are rarely or never cleaned.
Bathroom ... The maids are supposed to clean everything here, but chances are the tile floor and shower floor still harbor bacteria. Wear shower shoes to prevent infection. The toilet handle probably was not sanitized, either.

Paying More for a Hotel Room Does Make a Difference

Cleaning employees in pricier hotels receive training for the work they do. The housekeeping staff is required to properly and thoroughly clean the rooms. House inspections and state inspectors conduct swab tests as a routine practice, and standards must be upheld to get a passing grade.

Paying less than fifty dollars a night for a room might save vacation money, but avoiding the extra expense could make one sick in the long run. No one wants to catch a cold or come down with a stomach virus while on vacation, so why take a chance?

All Rooms Carry Some Health Risks

The carpet in the room does not get cleaned unless it becomes stained or there is a state health inspection coming up. Wear socks instead of going barefoot in the room.
Bedspreads might be cleaned once or twice yearly. Fold it along with the germs and stuff it into a corner.
The bedding should be checked for anything that crawls. Lice and bedbugs leave nasty itchy rashes on their victims and the bugs are very hard to get rid of.
Pillows can carry bugs, too. Check for lice and bedbugs. Toss throw pillows in the corner with the bedspread.
Luggage can transport bugs. Do not leave a suitcase on the bed or floor while packing/unpacking. Use the luggage stand if there is one. Make sure all clothing stays off the floor.
The walls in hotel rooms carry filthy secrets, especially around light switches, the thermostat and door locks.
Whirlpool tubs harbor germs in pipes. Avoid rooms with whirlpool tubs where lingering bacteria could cause unpleasant medical problems such as urinary tract infections.
Shower curtains carry bacteria and are rarely cleaned on a daily basis.
Carpeting is a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. Lice, mites, fleas, and bedbugs infest carpets that are only vacuumed–not regularly steam-cleaned–and consider there may be urine and semen stains hidden in carpeting, as well.

How Guests Can Protect Themselves Against Hotel Room Germs

Wash hands frequently ... Germs pass from the hands to the nose and mouth. Some bacteria can live up to four days after a guest has vacated the room.
Wear socks or shower shoes.
Wipe down frequently-touched items with disinfectant wipes (Clorox or Lysol, for example) before touching anything.
Inspect bedding carefully.
Choose better quality lodging.

Hundreds of thousands of people travel in the United States each year and never get sick from the hotel rooms they occupy. On the flip side, there is always that one-in-a-million chance that one could pick up an infection from a carelessly cleaned room. There's no point in taking a chance when observing a few precautions can keep the traveler safe. It's hard not to become paranoid about bacterial infections and disease outbreaks in this day and age. Taking the time to wipe down the obvious places that carry germs in a hotel room can minimize at least some of the danger.

The copyright of the article Hotel Rooms Infested with Germs Bug Guests in Health Field is owned by Mary King. Permission to republish Hotel Rooms Infested with Germs Bug Guests in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.