Hotels have cleaning staffs, of course, and those employees usually do their best to make sure your stay away from home is a clean and comfortable one—but there are still things they can miss. If you’re a major germaphobe or staying in a less-than-luxurious hotel, you might want to do a little cleaning of your own when you check in. But which areas really need it the most?
Wipe the most-touched surfaces
Keep a small package of disinfectant wipes with you when you travel and use them to get the surfaces you touch often when you get to your room. One Redditor said they always wipe down these things right away:
- The television remote
- Nightstands
- Door handles
- Light switches
- The toilet handle
- The phone
- The fridge handle
This is a simple way to get some peace of mind, so take your time and look for anything that might be a high-touch item for you: the knobs on your dresser, for example, or the handle of the hair dryer could use a quick wipe.
Head for the kitchen
Most hotel rooms have coffee machines and cups available and often, those cups are disposable and sealed individually, but there’s a good chance the pot itself could use a cleaning. Run the coffee maker through a cleaning cycle before you use it, and if you have ceramic mugs available, make sure to wash them out. The same goes for wine glasses, kitchen utensils, and plates.
Consider bringing items from home
If it’s feasible, you might want to bring your own sheets or towels. Before you instantly write that off, consider that a 2019 survey of 1,008 people by QS Supplies showed that one in 10 people already do bring their own sheets to hotels—and that was pre-pandemic, before we all became a little more germ conscious.
This idea is popular on Reddit, too. Another tip that goes along with it is to bring a pair of flip flops that is just for walking around your room, the same as you might when you shower at the gym.