The last thing visitors who are empowered to travel via cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms want to deal with after arriving at their destinations is getting sick when steps could have easily been taken to prevent this.
Hotel light switches and remotes are the two surfaces most likely to be contaminated with potentially sickening bacteria, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Houston. Germs were measured on almost everything in nine hotel rooms in three states.
One of the conclusions of the study was that it is not safe to assume that because something looks clean that it is in fact clean. Visitors cannot visually see bacteria or viruses. They can see the surface of object but cannot tell if it has been disinfected.
The study found that the most common places to find aerobic bacteria in hotels was bathroom sinks and floors, the main light switches, and TV remotes. This bacteria is known to cause illness, including streptococcus and staphylococcus.
The researchers conducting the study said they hope that its results will encourage hotels to adopt Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points cleaning and sanitation guidelines already in use by food and healthcare industries.
Some hotel chains are prioritizing the cleanliness of their hotels. Best Western hotels, for example, are providing its housekeepers with black light testers to detect unseen bugs. They are also offering sanitary wraps for TV remotes.
Guests who want to be proactive and minimize germs when staying at hotels should travel with sanitizing wipes and wipe down hotel room surfaces before using them.
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