The Unsettling Reason You May Want To Avoid Using The Drinking Glasses In Your Hotel Room

You may already be aware that hotels can have some germy spots. If you aren't, here's something pretty sobering. A 2012 study by Katie Kirsch from the University of Houston found that 81% of hotel surfaces have fecal bacteria on them (via Scientific American). While TV remotes and light switches are some of the grossest spots in hotel rooms, that isn't all. One thing you should avoid if you're trying not to get sick is drinking from hotel glasses.

In an undercover investigation done in 2009 by ABC15, drinking glasses were dirty at 11 out of 15 American hotels. To be fair, even if they've been cleaned, toilet flushing can spread bacteria, and the bathroom is where you'll often find those hotel glasses. Kelly Reynolds, a germ expert and associate professor of environmental health at the University of Arizona, told Time, "When you flush the toilet, the viruses and the feces do get spread throughout the walls of the toilet, the flush handle, and the walls of the bathroom."

Even if you have a glass and you don't leave it in another room, it may not have been cleaned in the first place or cleaned incorrectly. After all, if a hotel doesn't have an on-site restaurant (with cups, dishwashers, and the like), how are the glasses getting cleaned? One person on Reddit said they took a job cleaning hotel rooms and revealed, "The girl who was training me used a sponge to clean the inside of the toilet, then used that same sponge to clean the glasses." When questioned, this person said it was clean because they used soap.

While some hotel glasses are cleaned — other than fingerprints or lipstick marks — you may not know for sure, so it's best to avoid them altogether. Of course, you can use your portable water bottle to drink from. If you don't have one, you can try the Ello Cooper Twist 32oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle. However, using something like that may be a bit awkward when rinsing after brushing your teeth. Another option is to carry a collapsible water cup with a lid, like the Meanhoo 4 Pack Silicone Collapsible Cup with Lid. That way, you can designate one specifically for the bathroom.

If your hotel room has paper cups, get a fresh one, flip it, and DIY your own toothbrush holder (just leave it outside the bathroom). Another idea is to ask for a glass from the hotel bar or restaurant and keep it hidden from housekeeping so it doesn't get a wipedown with a dirty sponge or towel. With all the germs in hotel rooms, it's also a great idea to bring disinfecting wipes for things like the remote control, the light switches, and the bathroom counter before you put anything on it. (Keep in mind that these are the things that are supposed to be cleaned. Other items, like hotel hair dryers, just blow bacteria around.)