I admit to being a neat freak. Sometimes. It's strange. I like to have certain things in certain places. However, other things I am not as worried about. For instance, I am not really germophobic. Don't get me wrong, I wash my hands after I use the bathroom and I don't *usually* touch the doorknob afterwards, but otherwise, I am lax. I sometimes use the 3 second rule.
I recently talked about how I pretty much live in a hotel most of the time. This girl, with her comment about comforters on my post, reminded me about an article I read in Conde Nast a few years ago about the dirtiest places in a hotel. You may think it's the toilet, but you would be wrong.
They tested one 5 star hotel, one mid line hotel and one low end hotel. You would be surprised; the 5 star hotel was not necessarily cleaner than the low end hotel. Here are some of the worst offenders (germ wise).
The ice bucket.
The remote control.
The phone.
The door knob.
The alarm clock.
The desk chair.
The comforter.
These items were covered in E. Coli (fecal borne) and other bacteria which causes yeast infections. While I can see why the desk chair may have fecal material on it (even though I don't like to picture it), I never really considered the comforter before reading this article. It makes sense though. How many hands, faces and butts have touched that comforter in between washes?
I suggest wet wiping the obvious ones - phone, remote, clock and door handle and taking the comforter off the bed all together or at least folding it down so it doesn't touch your face while you sleep. If the chair is fabric, put a towel down. I wouldn't even use the ice bucket. And above all, wash your hands.
Okay, now that I have grossed you out, let me add this. They say that even after these findings, the average hotel room is CLEANER than most people's houses and definitely more sanitary than flying, since you are confined in a limited amount of air space with so many people.
Just some food for thought.
Are you a neat freak? Are you a germaphobe? How often do you clean your bathroom? Do you ever stay in hotels? Do you wipe anything down or do you just use it?
I recently talked about how I pretty much live in a hotel most of the time. This girl, with her comment about comforters on my post, reminded me about an article I read in Conde Nast a few years ago about the dirtiest places in a hotel. You may think it's the toilet, but you would be wrong.
They tested one 5 star hotel, one mid line hotel and one low end hotel. You would be surprised; the 5 star hotel was not necessarily cleaner than the low end hotel. Here are some of the worst offenders (germ wise).
The ice bucket.
The remote control.
The phone.
The door knob.
The alarm clock.
The desk chair.
The comforter.
These items were covered in E. Coli (fecal borne) and other bacteria which causes yeast infections. While I can see why the desk chair may have fecal material on it (even though I don't like to picture it), I never really considered the comforter before reading this article. It makes sense though. How many hands, faces and butts have touched that comforter in between washes?
I suggest wet wiping the obvious ones - phone, remote, clock and door handle and taking the comforter off the bed all together or at least folding it down so it doesn't touch your face while you sleep. If the chair is fabric, put a towel down. I wouldn't even use the ice bucket. And above all, wash your hands.
Okay, now that I have grossed you out, let me add this. They say that even after these findings, the average hotel room is CLEANER than most people's houses and definitely more sanitary than flying, since you are confined in a limited amount of air space with so many people.
Just some food for thought.
Are you a neat freak? Are you a germaphobe? How often do you clean your bathroom? Do you ever stay in hotels? Do you wipe anything down or do you just use it?
Not normally a germ a phobe but now I am totally grossed out, especially about the desk chair and ice bucket!
ReplyDeleteI never get ice or use the ice buckets after that episode of CSI where they found a body in the ice machine. Gross!
ReplyDeleteBut now I'm totally freaked out about the phone and the remote.
Wow this is gross. What's even more disturbing is I just booked a hotel room, so now I am planning on what I am going to clean when I get there! Ha!
ReplyDeleteNot germiphoble,clean irregularly. Have a short hair dog who sheds like crazy. Every other day damp mop all the bare floors. Every third day vacuum the rugs. Every day vacuum the bare kitchen floor. Clean the bathrooms weekly. Use that blue coloured liquid in the bottle that you turn upside down to coat the interior rim.
ReplyDeleteToo clean a home can be a bad thing (no excuse to avoid cleaning) because your body develops an immunity not otherwise gained.
Enjoyed your post, Thank You.
I am not a germ phobe... But I do find comforters disgusting in hotel rooms. I try not to use them, but sometimes it's not optional becaause they don't have anything besides sheets on the bed.
ReplyDeleteYES!
ReplyDeleteWe always fold back the blankets and bedspread on hotel beds and I do take Chlorox wipes with me when we travel!
We just spent 4 nights in a charming old inn while I am recovering from my eye surgery, and the remote for the tv was one that had a flat top, and it was for hygiene. Had never seen one before but there was a sign about it.
The ice bucket was lined with plastic bags and the ice machine had a drop tube - no need to ever touch the ice.
Little details mean a lot!
Eww! Hotel comforters are actually my LEAST favorite thing about traveling! I always sleep with my covers up on my face (to drown out my husband's freight-train snoring) and I always get grossed out by the thought of putting the hotel comforter that has seen WHO KNOWS WHAT on my face! It's never a good night's sleep.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely not a germiphobe, but I always take off the big top comforter in hotels. They are very rarely cleaned and it gives me the willies to think about what could be on them...
ReplyDelete