The 8 spots in your hotel room that are 'germ motorways' – leaving guests exposed to skin infections and bed bugs | The Sun

ASLEEP expert has revealed the eight hotel room spots that are a hotbed of germs – and holidaymakers are in for an unpleasant surprise.

Even if there aren’t the usual telltale signs of uncleanliness, there is almost certainly something grim lurking inside your hotel room.

Martin Seeley, boss of MattressNextDay, an online retailer that specialises in selling mattresses, has revealed the disturbing places where germs lurk in hotel rooms.

He said: "While this information may be unsettling, it's essential to be aware of these potential hygiene issues in hotel rooms.

"It doesn't mean you should stop staying in hotels altogether, but being informed and taking these precautions can help you sleep better, especially if you're prone to allergies triggered by dust mites that can affect your sleep quality."

Sofas

While hotel sofas and armchairs may be the perfect spot to unwind after a long day of travel, they're not as clean as holidaymakers would like to believe.

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Martin called hotel sofas and chairs "germ motorways" because they can carry bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, which causes Staph infections and even skin infections.

This happens because chairs and sofas aren't always deep-cleaned between stays, which makes them the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

Dr. Nidhi Ghildayal, PhD, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, also explained that stains on sofas are often rubbed away rather than removed.  

He suggested placing a clean towel down on the sofa before taking a seat.

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The average person produces 500ml of sweat every night, while a whopping 320,00 skin cells are shedCredit: Getty

Blankets and throws

The average person produces 500ml of sweat every night, while a whopping 320,00 skin cells are shed.

If hotel blankets, comforters, and throws aren't thoroughly cleaned within the space of a month, they could contain up to 15 litres of sweat, as well as 9.6 million dead skin cells.

While saliva and other bodily liquids from other hotel guests are also likely to be lurking on blankets.

When removing the blanket from the bed, make sure to handle them gently, because this can lessen an allergic reaction.

Hotel guests should also keep allergy medicines like nose sprays, inhalers, and eye drops on hand.

Fabric headboards

Fabric headboards are actually difficult to clean because they require a steam cleaner, which means they're less likely to be properly scrubbed between stays.

Bed bugs also have a preference for soft furnishings and the pesky bugs have been known to gather in the fabric of the headboard.

Dust can also pool into the headboard, making it an uncomfortable night's sleep for anyone with allergies.

Curtains

Floor-length fabric curtains are another perfect hiding spot for harmful bacteria.

This is because floor-length drapes are rarely on the receiving end of a deep clean, which makes them the perfect environment for germs and dust mites.

While household curtains should be cleaned every six months, hotel drapes should be cleaned more frequently because of the frequency of people coming and going.

Carpets

Hotel carpets also hold plenty of bacteria too, because of the amount of germs being traipsed around hotel rooms by people's shoes.

Last year, hotel expert Jacob Tomsky explained that guests should never walk barefoot in their room, no matter how clean the floor looks.

He said: "The dirtiest part of a hotel room is the carpets.

“Yes, they are vacuumed but they will almost never get a shampoo and a deep clean as there are constantly people staying in the rooms."

According to Jacob, it's best to wear the hotel slippers inside a room to keep your feet nice and clean.

Remote controls

The TV remote control is handled by loads of guests, which means it can hold all sorts of gross stuff in every crevice.

Philip Tierno, a microbiologist and clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at the NYU School of Medicine said: "There’s human hair, bodily excretions based on what [people] touch before they touch the remote … insect parts that may be part of the room’s dust … cosmetics, even food.

"Of course, you perspire, and that serves as a nice medium that assists in the growth of organisms over time."

Before channel-surfing, Dr. Clifford Bassett, medical director of Allergy & Asthma Care of New York, recommended placing the remote in a large Ziploc bag.

Shower heads

While shower heads should replaced every year, they often stay in hotel rooms for a lot longer and can risk guests being exposed to legionella.

Legionella is a bacteria that appears in potable water supplies.

The bacteria can spray out and for older adults, who have weakened immune systems, it may lead to Legionnaires’ disease.

Philip Tierno recommended running the hot water for a minute or two before stepping in so that bacteria can drop out.

Glasses

Last year, hotel worker and TikTok user Evangeline (@queenevangeline25) revealed the dirtiest parts of the hotel room.

Evangeline recommended avoiding the glasses in the hotel room because they don't get cleaned that regularly.

She said: "I would never use the glasses in the room – I'm not talking about stryofoam cups or the paper cups – I'm talking about the glass glasses that are sitting there for you to use.

Before using them, she recommended cleaning the glasses.

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Meanwhile, hotel workers at some of the world's fanciest resorts have revealed disgusting secrets from behind the scenes.

Here is how to tell if your hotel room has been cleaned properly.

Seven ways to make your hotel room a whole lot cleaner

  1. Fold the throw or comforter and store it in an unused corner of the room.
  2. Try to book a hotel with white linen because it makes stains and dirt more visible.
  3. Keep your suitcase off the bed to avoid germs hitching a ride from the wheels.
  4. Avoid placing damp towels on the bed to discourage further bacteria breeding.
  5. Sit on a clean towel for added protection when using a hotel sofa or chair.
  6. Keep your clothing away from soft furnishings to minimise contact.
  7. Change your socks before getting into bed to prevent the spread of bacteria.


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