How to identify mattress bugs at inns and keep away from bringing them home
There’s an opportunity you might encounter mattress bugs at any resort and even worse, carry them home with you. Experts weigh in on how one can keep away from these pests.
Ryan Ross, USA TODAY
What are the primary belongings you do if you arrive at your new resort room or Airbnb? Jump on the mattress to check its firmness? Unpack your garments? Check for mattress bugs?
You could need to add a fast cleansing to your record.
Rochelle Stewart is a type of vacationers who all the time does. She goes by @operation_niki on “CleanTok,“ the cleaning tips area of TikTok. She has millions of views on her videos showing how she gives her hotel room a quick wipe-down before unpacking.
Even the most luxurious hotels still have incredibly germy surfaces, especially in the bathroom and other high-traffic areas – and yes, even with housekeeping. There’s a difference between cleaning and disinfecting.
A September swab test by WaterFilterGuru.com, a water quality expert company, found surfaces of a homeshare and hotel bathroom to be many times as germy as a toilet seat, pet bowl and kitchen sink.
These are high-traffic areas that also harbor germs because of the moist surroundings and cross-contamination – think toothbrushes and razors sitting on the bathroom counters. When water gets trapped in faucets, bacteria can fester.
More: Is your hotel’s COVID-19 cleaning protocol up to snuff? How to know if your room is really clean
Where are the germiest spots in a hotel or Airbnb?
The sink faucet clocked in as the germiest place – a home-share faucet has almost 60,000 times as much bacteria as a toilet seat. WaterFilterGuru.com’s swab test also found:
At hotels:
- A hotel shower head had 25,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.
- A toilet seat had seven times more bacteria than a hotel shower handle.
- A hotel sink faucet had over 55,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.
- A toilet seat had four times more bacteria than a hotel sink handle.
- A hotel tub had four times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
At home-shares:
- A home-sharing shower head had nearly 55,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.
- A home-sharing shower handle had nearly 10 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.
- A home-sharing sink faucet had nearly 60,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat
- A home-sharing sink handle had nearly 55,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.
- A home-sharing tub had over 55,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat.
“Just like any other frequently used space, these areas can harbor various microorganisms,” Brian Campbell, President & CEO at WaterFilterGuru.com instructed USA TODAY through e mail. “While the idea of a sink faucet being as contaminated as a toilet seat sounds unsettling, it’s essential to remember that not all bacteria are harmful. Nonetheless, practicing good hygiene is key to avoiding potential health issues.”
For probably the most half, coming into contact with the micro organism goes to be nice, however some, reminiscent of E. coli, could make you sick.
“The risk of infection from casual contact is generally low,” Campbell stated. “The bacteria on faucet handles are typically different from those inside the faucet and are often harmless. Still, it’s always a good idea to practice regular hand hygiene.”
The WaterFilterGuru.com examine discovered homeshare surfaces like bathtubs to be typically dirtier than a resort’s.
Should we clear our resort room?
Stewart stated that whereas she all the time did some cleansing to her resort rooms, however her must-do cleansing routine was impressed after studying about black lights revealing how soiled even a four-star resort room will be.
“Initially, I thought (housekeeping) thoroughly cleaned the room,” she instructed USA TODAY. “Ever since then, I was like, I’ll take matters into my own hands.”
She suggests everybody take about quarter-hour to wipe down high-touch surfaces of their resort room with disinfectant wipes earlier than settling in, like the sunshine switches or distant management. “It shouldn’t consume you but also be cautious, but you don’t have to go crazy with it.”
Here are some knowledgeable tips about how one can clear your resort room with out compromising your trip:
- Avoid touching your face. In commonplace good hygiene observe, don’t contact your eyes, mouth and nostril with unwashed palms, Campbell stated.
- Wash your palms (quite a bit).
- Invest in to-go disinfectant wipes and a travel-size sanitizing spray. No one desires to lug round a bottle of Lysol of their suitcase, however Stewart all the time packs these two gadgets when she travels. She loves Microban sprays as a result of “it keeps disinfecting.”
- Ask for contemporary sheets. If you don’t need to be “extra” as Stewart places it, and pack disposable sheets, give the entrance desk a name if you arrive for some contemporary sheets. (Don’t overlook to tip housekeeping!)
- Don’t use the coffeemaker or glasses. These usually aren’t cleaned in addition to you’d like.
Kathleen Wong is a journey reporter for USA TODAY primarily based in Hawaii. You can attain her at [email protected].
