Avoid Touching These Gross Spots In Your Hotel Room
By Mina Elwell
VACATIONS
Some of the areas that most hotel guests touch are not necessarily on the radar of hotel maids, which means that other guests’ germs could end up on your hands, too.
According to one inspector for AAA, there are some spots in a hotel room that are often dirty, like light switches, TV remotes, coffee makers, carpets, and throw pillows.
An AAA inspector told the Washington Post: "When we first started swabbing, the remote control was the germiest, but now [...] It's usually the light switch at the front door."
A 2012 study from the American Society of Microbiology found the bedside lamp switch is often contaminated, and a 2014 Rossen Reports study found hotel room phones to be dirty.
Hotel sheets are regularly washed, but other soft surfaces in your hotel room might not be getting that same treatment, especially sleeper sofas and decorative throw pillows.
The inspector also stated that you should always wear slippers around your hotel room, as the carpets can hold a lot of grime, especially right in front of the door.