Travel Tips: The Dirt on Hotels

Tip Sheet  

Tip #1: Bag in ice bucket

In case the ice bucket in your hotel room isn't clean, be sure to use plastic bags that are provided before filling with ice.

Tip #2: Bed

Marketplace found almost half of comforters had coliform, a sign of fecal contamination.

There are various things you can pick up, microbiologist Keith Warriner says.

"One is very direct which is if we have an open cut...then it can actually get into that wound and start causing an infection."

His suggestion? "It's always a good idea to wear pyjamas, not go commando."

Tip #3: Coffee maker in the bathroom

Avoid using coffee makers and ice buckets that are stored in hotel bathrooms. When you flush the toilet, it sprays bacteria into the air - including fecal contamination.

Tip #4: Tissue holder

Toss out the first tissue. It can have aerosol contamination from the toilet. It can also harbour bacteria from previous guests - someone with a cold, or flu.

Also, many tissue holders we tested weren't clean. So, you might want to give the container a quick wipe down.

Tip #5: Glasses

Plastic cups are quite often found in hotel rooms, to decrease cross-contamination risk.

If you're not sure about your glasses provided (especially ones in bathrooms), rinse with hot water, or ask for fresh ones.

Tip #6: Luggage rack

Use it! Placing your suitcase on the bed or carpet is a good way to pick up bugs. WE did not find bed bugs on our three-city test, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

source: CBC Marketplace