When you take a hotel room, you hope (at least) that it is clean! Except that, as Primrose Freestone, a microbiologist at the University of Leicester (in the United Kingdom) explains, hotel rooms are never spotless: “the person who occupied your room before you necessarily left bacteria, viruses, fungi… While most of these microbes are generally eliminated through cleaning, some persist and can make you sick!“According to the expert, a hotel stay can lead to a gastrointestinal or ENT infection in particular.
Slippers, fitted sheet and hydroalcoholic gel
First tip from the pro: beware of elevator buttons and door handles. “They are real breeding grounds for bacteria, because everyone touches them and they are not necessarily cleaned regularly!“says the microbiologist, who notes that (unsurprisingly) toilet and bathroom door handles are particularly at risk.”Wash your hands (or at least use hydroalcoholic gel) every time you enter a room, if possible” she recommends.
Second tip: take your own fitted sheet. “If sheets, pillowcases and blankets are probably cleaned regularly, this is probably not the case for the non-removable fabrics that cover the bed bases: they can harbor pathogens harmful to health.” develops the microbiologist. Taking your own fitted sheet can therefore help to avoid an infection!
Third tip: don’t forget your slippers. Carpets and rugs are (a priori) cleaned regularly in hotels… but not always sufficiently diligently. “Do not walk barefoot on the floors (i.e. wear slippers, flip flops or socks) can prevent you from getting a yeast infection, for example‘ finished the expert.
Source :The Conversation
