Have you heard? Travel experts have announced that the era of “stay-cations” is over, as people begin to book real summer vacations again! If your travel plans include staying in a hotel, we want to remind you that most hotel rooms aren’t as clean as you think. So, here’s a refresher course on some of the hidden germs lurking in hotel rooms, according to the Web site Smarter Travel .com:
* Germ magnet #1: The Alarm clock. Just think of how many guests set that alarm with their dirty, sweaty hands. That’s why our expert recommends using an antibacterial wipe on all high traffic areas in the room - including doorknobs, light switches, dresser handles, and the telephone!
* Another hotel germ magnet: The bed. No matter how clean the bedspread looks, it’s one of the least washed linens in any hotel room. So, take it off and toss it on the floor before you ever plop down on the bed. Then, take a close look at the headboard, sheets and mattress. If you see any small black or red specs, beware: Those are common signs of bed bugs.
* Another place germs hide in hotel rooms: Drinking glasses. Unless each glass is individually wrapped in plastic, you should never use them. That’s because cleaning crews often wash those glasses with the same chemicals they use to clean the toilet!
Know this – just because a hotel room is expensive, doesn’t mean it’s clean. ABC News asked microbiologist Charles Gerba to test $500 a night hotel rooms. He swabbed nine items in each – from the irons, to sinks, toilets, and drinking glasses. What did he find? One three-star hotel turned up fecal coliform and MRSA, a serious germ known to cause severe skin infections. One place hotel guests may not think about when it comes to germs is the room-service menu, but at one swanky five-star hotel, the experiment uncovered high levels of bacteria on the menu. One last surprising hotel germ hotspot? The hair dryer! In almost every case, Gerba found it had far more germs on it than the hotel toilet seat.
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