The Germiest Surfaces in Hotel Rooms Revealed

Avert your eyes germophobes—a new study reveals the most germ-filled surfaces of hotel rooms.

TravelMath—a trip-planning website—conducted extensive research by sending teams to nine different hotels and taking 36 unique samples to test for hidden dirt beneath the shiny exterior of hotel rooms. In each room, they tested the remote control, bathroom counter, desk, and phone. Their findings are significant enough to warrant travelers including bleach wipes on their must-pack list.

Germ Levels in Hotels

Interestingly, hotels are rife with germs, and according to TravelMath’s findings, they may even be dirtier than airplanes or schools. Moreover, the study revealed that four- and five-star hotels tend to have more germs compared to three-star establishments.

Key Findings from the Study

• The bathroom counters in four-star hotels exhibited over 2.5 million bacteria levels in colony-forming units (CFUs).
• The remote controls in five-star hotels followed closely with more than two million CFUs.
• Desks in these hotels harbored a significant amount of germs as well.
• The least amount of germs were found on the phones of hotels, with just 4,252 CFUs, likely because many guests use their own devices.

While most of the germs identified were not particularly dangerous, it is advisable to wash your hands after touching the bathroom counter or TV remote, especially before heading off to dinner.

Conclusion

Consequently, it is crucial to understand that a study of just nine hotels does not necessarily signify widespread germ issues in all hotel rooms. However, this serves as a prudent reminder that “clean” does not always equate to germ-free. Therefore, regular handwashing remains a highly recommended practice while traveling.