7 Steps for a Germ-Free Hotel Room

[Destinations]( [Collections]( [Hotels]( [7 Steps for a Germ-Free Hotel Room]( [7 Steps for a Germ-Free Hotel Room]( Don’t be fooled by those hospital-corner beds and the gleaming bathroom fixtures; no matter how swanky or pristine, all hotel rooms get a rotating parade of guests. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to ensure the cleanest, most germ-free environment possible, whether it’s at a luxury property or a budget chain. [Oyster Bullet] 1. Ditch the bedspread. When it comes to hotel germs, bedspreads are some of the biggest offenders. “Bedspreads need to be dry-cleaned, which is only done a few times a year,” says Michael Oshins, associate professor of Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. “Think of the number of people who use it before it is thoroughly cleaned,” he adds. [Oyster Bullet] 2. Bag the remote control. Oshins identifies the remote as being the germiest surface in a hotel room, and most investigations support this. Tests that compare various surfaces against each other consistently find that bacteria counts skyrocket on TV remotes. [Oyster Bullet] 3. Wipe down the phone handset. Also on the hit list when it comes to hotel germs: the phone handset. This is another spot that’s consistently rated germ-y on investigations. [7 Steps for a Germ-Free Hotel Room]( [Oyster Bullet] 4. Use those slippers. You can’t just blame previous guests for a hotel’s germy state. The state of cleanliness during your stay is most obviously affected by the germs you bring into space. What’s the germiest item you’re adding to the room? Probably your shoes. [Oyster Bullet] 5. Wash the drinking glasses. As Jacob Tomsky noted in his book “Heads in Beds” (a tell-all memoir about the hotel industry a la “Kitchen Confidential”), housekeepers don’t exactly have mini dishwashers in their carts, and some will use any tools at their disposal to get the drinking glasses looking clean. Wash the glasses before using them, just to be safe. [Oyster Bullet] 6. Tip early and tip often. As far as jobs go, housekeeping is a tough one. Wrangling dirty towels, stripping beds, folding toilet paper into little points — it’s exhausting stuff. So it’s a given that you should tip. But it’s not a given when to tip. Oshins has an untraditional approach: “I tip each night rather than at the end of the stay.” [Oyster Bullet] 7. Bug concerns? Head to the bathroom. Bedbug concerns don’t relate to germs per se, but if you’re afraid of these pests, stash your suitcase in the bathroom — the most dependably bug-free space — and then continue with [our steps to detect any bugs]( and prevent bringing them home. [READ MORE]( Looking for a place to stay? Here are our picks. [Prague]( [Iron Gate Hotel & Suites Prague by BHG]( [Iron Gate Hotel & Suites Prague by BHG]( [Book Now]( [Cancun]( [Casa Turquesa - Near Luxury Avenue Shopping Mall]( [Casa Turquesa]( [Book Now]( [Maldives]( [Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa]( [Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa]( [Book Now]( [Jamaica]( [Negril Palms]( [Negril Palms]( [Book Now]( [Antigua]( [Hawksbill Resort Antigua - All Inclusive]( [Hawksbill Resort Antigua - All Inclusive]( [Book Now]( [Boston]( [The Boxer]( [The Boxer]( [Book Now]( [Facebook]( [Pinterest]( [Instagram]( [Flipboard]( [Oyster]( [My Preferences]( [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( [Contact Us]( © 2023 Oyster 1 Washington Mall #1150, Boston, MA 02108 855.946.2532 This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you wish to receive emails from [Oyster.com]( . If you wish to update what you receive, please visit the preference page. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please [unsubscribe]( on Oyster.com. Did a friend forward this email? [Become a member now](. Oyster.com is an unbiased travel information service producer where you can get insider travel advice from travel experts. We also provide you with information about third-party travel suppliers’ prices and we link you to their sites. Though all information is validated at time of publish, we have no control over the third-party travel suppliers, and we therefore do no warrant or guarantee that their prices will not change or become unavailable. Please see their sites for the most up-to-date offer information and all applicable terms and conditions for their products, services, or site content. Oyster.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to [Amazon.com](.