July 5th, 2018 by Chris Chapman

We’ve all heard horror stories about unhygienic hotels, and while thankfully most hotels meet a certain hygiene standard, it’s always wise to take a few extra steps to protect yourself. Whether it’s for a holiday, a work trip, or simply a rest stop to break up a long journey, we all make use of a hotel from time to time – and that’s the problem! Even when most hotels will wash towels and sheets daily, you don’t always know who’s been doing what in your hotel room. The last thing you want is to catch a nasty virus when you’re supposed to be relaxing in your room! Next time you’re staying away, try out these tips to make sure you’re completely hygienic and safe!

Wash Up as Soon as You Arrive

Even if you're staying in a nice hotel, it's worth quickly checking the room over Even from when you first enter your room, you’ve had to handle a room key, probably a lift button, and your door handle to open the door. As soon as you enter the room, go into the bathroom and wash your hands to get rid of all that bacteria. It’s also smart to have a quick spot check of your room at this point to make sure everything is fresh and clean. Keep your luggage in the bathroom while you do this so it’s not at risk from anything that could be lurking in the soft furnishings.

Use Your Elbows

Even the fanciest hotels can carry bacteria on their door handles, so use your elbows! It might sound a bit awkward but use your elbows for opening doors and flushing toilets in your hotel room if you can. Even though most of the bathroom will be cleaned, you don’t know what bacteria could still be lurking on your cupboards, door handles, and windows! If you use your elbows to open these things, you won’t be getting that bacteria all over your hands, and there’s much less risk of it ending up on your face, in your mouth, or in anything else you touch.

Wipe the Remote

The remote is one thing in the room that everyone touches with their hands, so give it a wipe before using it Antibacterial wipes are a must-have no matter where you’re staying. Make sure you wipe down the TV remote! This is something that’s often overlooked in cleaning even though virtually anyone who’s ever stayed in the room will have touched it. The accumulated sweat and oil from the hands of every guest who’s used it can attract a lot of dirt and cause a sticky bacterial gunk to form on the remote. It goes without saying that this can be a hygiene hazard, so it’s best to give it a quick wipe to be sure.

Keep Your Clothes off the Bed and Chairs

Hang your clothes in the wardrobe or leave them in your case, not on the floor! It’s always wise to either hang your clothes up in a wardrobe or keep them folded in your case. Leaving them strewn about on the floor is definitely a bad idea for obvious reasons, but it’s also unwise to leave them on chairs or your bed. Soft furnishings like these can be home to invisible dust, bacteria, and even mould that you might not notice, which could easily transfer onto your clothes. It’s also a good idea to keep your dirty laundry in a sealed bag. This is because, in addition to bacteria and viruses, there’s also another potential hygiene risk that lurks in a hotel’s soft furnishings which is actually drawn to worn clothes…

Check for Bedbugs

Always do a quick beck for bedbugs before you put anything on the bed It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a run-down B&B or a 5-star resort; bedbugs don’t discriminate! Bedbugs are bloodsucking pests that are notoriously tough to get rid of and, contrary to popular belief, aren’t attracted to dirt. This means that even if your hotel is a spotless luxury resort, you could still end up with bedbugs in the bed! Don’t fret, though; you can do a quick spot check of the bed, bed frame, mattress, and sheets when you first arrive in your room. Avoid placing suitcases or bags onto the bed until you’re happy there aren’t any bedbugs there – you really don’t want these things coming home with you! Keep a lookout for bedbugs themselves (they’re tiny, flat, reddish-brown mites) and their droppings which look like black dust. You should also double check there aren’t any blood spots on the bed. If you wake up one morning and you notice a lot of itchy bites on your body, immediately contact your front desk and make sure they’re up to your room right away to investigate. It’s always wise to carry some bedbug spray that you can use on your clothes, as well as some Biopren spray which will stop any bedbug eggs from hatching. If the worst happens and you end up with bedbugs, treat all your clothes with the sprays several times to make sure you get every last bug as the last thing you want is for them to hitch a ride home with you!