Don't Touch THIS in Hotel Rooms
If you see a stray hair in the hotel bathroom sink, you may be so repulsed you call the front desk for a new room. Guess what? That's nothing compared to the TV remote control, which you probably grabbed just after you put down your suitcase.
Think about it: Almost every guest in that room has touched it, the maid doesn't clean it, and the dirt and bacteria are invisible. Bet you never thought about that before.
University of Arizona microbiology professor Chuck Gerba conducted a study of a dozen Tucson hotels. As the Arizona Republic put it, TV remotes hold more than batteries. "One of the dirtiest places in the room people don't expect is the TV channel changer, believe it or not," Gerba told the Republic. He has even found fecal bacteria on those remote controls.
Hotels know the room must be clean--very, very clean--to keep your business. In fact, safety and cleanliness are hotel guests' top two priorities. But the reality is that not all hotels are clean.
Yes, you do get what you pay for. Microbiology professor Gerba said his research of those 12 Tucson hotels showed there is a "statistically significant" relationship between a room's price and its bacteria levels. The higher the cost of the room, the fewer the bacteria. In addition to the remote control, Gerba's team found fecal bacteria on toilet tank lids, sinks, and taps--all of which are places where moisture acts as a reservoir for bacteria.
What's a traveler to do? Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use alcohol gel to clean your hands after you touch items that are prone to bacteria. "That's probably one of the best defenses you can use," Gerba told the Arizona Republic. "Just remember, every place you're touching, someone else did it before you."
And if the hotel room doesn't look or smell clean, it isn't. Complain!
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