At one point or another we all travel and stay at hotels, and unfortunately cleaning practices are not always what they should be. Investigators from the show, “Marketplace” actually found potentially deadly super bugs on some uncleaned surfaces in hotel rooms. Needless to say picking up an illness while travelling can severely ruin an expensive vacation. It has the potential to cost people a lot of money, and worry, especially if they have small children with them. Housekeeping at these establishments are only going to be as good as their training has been. Sometimes important things get overlooked or they get cleaned improperly, and that can spread germs around even more. A prime example is when a housekeeper was observed using the same sponge on a toilet and then on a faucet.
Also if a hotel is understaffed in housekeeping corners will be cut, then both staff and customers are going to be impacted in unhealthy ways. In some cases the hotel industry has really got their priorities backwards, because cleanliness is something the guest really expects to be assured of. If a room turns out to be dirty the customer is going to tell others, not return, and that costs the hotel in the long run. Therefore, housekeepers should be some of the best trained and well paid members of a hotels staff, and yet that is not the case. Hotel owners, managers, and staff on the property are also getting exposed to these germs resulting in sick days, being short staffed which then results in poor customer service. Enough attention is not being paid to the dangers of this poorly done work, being done by people who aren’t properly trained, or don’t have enough time to do their job properly. Some cleaners don’t care because they aren’t making a decent wage. Housekeepers and staff in general work hard. Again we have to stress they should be trained properly and paid accordingly, it only makes good business sense from an investment point of view.
Here are a few tips on how you can make sure the room is clean. You are going to be spending time in that space so it is well worth taking a few precautions. Before renting the room and handing over your money ask to see the room and inspect it. Look everywhere and make sure there are no obvious signs the room hasn’t been cleaned. Like hair on the pillow or stains on the bedding. Make sure to check for bed bugs by looking behind the headboard, and check the mattress.
Here is a recap of the video done by, “Marketplace.” They suggest you use alcohol wipes to kill germs on the most common germ infested places:
all door handles,
light switches, lamps, telephone,
refrigerator, microwave handles, use a clean bag in the ice bucket
counter top, bath tub, faucets, and toilet.
Bring your own cup and put the tv remote in a zip bag. Remember not to cross contaminate, so be sure to pick it up with an alcohol wipe. In a lot of Hotel’s the remote control has one of the highest germ counts out of all the items in a room. Wash out the coffee maker before using it and keep in mind you have no idea if it was properly cleaned so you are better off being safe than sorry. Hotels vacuum the carpet when cleaning but anything could have been spilled on it so be sure to bring a pair of slippers or keep your shoes by your bed and wear them. Also remember you can always ask for clean sheets to be sent up by housekeeping as well. Once you take these small but necessary steps you should feel more at ease and able to enjoy your trip, and not have to be concerned with the risk of you or your loved ones picking up an unwanted illness. If you found this article helpful please be sure to share it with your friends and family and have a blessed day.
