The 5 Most Contaminated Surfaces In A Hotel Room

Our hands touch countless different surfaces every day. And what’s worse, we definitely don’t wash our hands after we touch every single thing.

But when you’re in a hotel room, you’re basically touching a bunch of objects that hundreds of other people have touched.

But have you ever wondered what the dirtiest thing you touch could possibly be?

Here’s a list of the surfaces that it’s just better not to touch.

1. The TV remote. If you’re planning on turning on the TV while you’re on vacation, you may want to cover that remote with a tissue, or wipe it down with a disinfecting wipe. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, found that not only were TV remotes found at hotels littered with bacteria, but 20 percent of them had semen on the surface.
2. The bathroom floor, countertop, and sink. Sure, you may get your room cleaned every day, but housekeeping sponges and mops are used for dozens of rooms. And if someone is sick in the room next to you, you’re almost guaranteed to have that virus in your room the next day. Wipe your surfaces down with a disinfecting wipe and you’ll be all right.
3. The pillows and comforter. It’s a well-known secret that these items, expecially the throw pillows, rarely get washed. When you get to a hotel, throw those pillows and that comforter off the bed. If you want to be extra careful, bring your own pillowcases, too.
4. The water glasses and ice bucket. If guests don’t use these glasses, that means they don’t get washed. If the glasses look like they were cleaned, who knows how many glasses were cleaned with the same sponge. Try using their disposable cups. And as for the ice bucket, who knows the last time it was washed. Just don’t touch it.
5. The main light switch. A recent study, done in 2015, found that a hotel light switch is one of the most contaminated areas of a hotel room. Either turn it on and immediately wash your hands, or use your elbow to turn it on.

So when you're picking a hotel to stay in, remember to always look up the reviews, and always bring your own disinfecting wipes.