5 dirtiest spots in hotel rooms: What experts say to do at check-in

Hotel rooms may look sparkling clean when you first arrive but surprising levels of bacteria and viruses can be lurking in overlooked places Beyond the usual individuals such as sinks and toilets common touchpoints like remotes and light switches are also crawling with germs studies say Hotel rooms had up to times more bacteria including fecal strains than are allowed in hospitals a University of Houston investigation ascertained THE GROSS REASON AIRPLANE PASSENGERS MIGHT WANT TO AVOID USING THE WATER ON FLIGHTThe staff at hotels often spend just minutes tidying and cleaning each room They may skip decorative items entirely Enza Laterrenia head of housekeeping at Canne Bianche Lifestyle Hotel in Italy described Passage Leisure Here's a list of spots that can be teeming with germs experts warn and the approaches you should take as soon as you arrive in your hotel room Having worked in hotels the first thing I fling off to a far corner of the room are decorative pillows and any decorative runner that goes along the foot of the bed Maria Diego a San Diego California-based tour adviser informed the trip magazine These never get washed WOMAN RIPS INTO STUPID SHOWERS AT HOTELS AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGNING THEMDuvet covers can also be a collecting place for germs Greater part hotels do not wash the big duvet They only wash the sheets a former hotel staffer noted on Reddit last year Diego mentioned she is also cautious about switches remote controls phones and other major touchpoints Los Angeles excursion adviser Rani Cheema disclosed hotel room phones disgust her the largest part I am grossed out by the receiver Cheema commented No one's cleaning that HOTELS CAN NO LONGER HIDE THIS ONE THING FROM TRAVELERSCarpets are another culprit Countless high-end hotels are now swapping them out for flooring or area rugs according to Cheema Hotel bathrooms are even dirtier than airplanes studies have discovered especially the countertops But the tub is also infested with germs harboring up to times more bacteria than a toilet seat according to a scrutiny by WaterFilterGuru com I also won t take a bath in a hotel unless it s a super-luxe five-star hotel and only if it s a non-jet bathtub Diego revealed HOTEL VIBES COFFEE HACK RAISES EYEBROWS AS EXPERTS WARN OF SLEEP QUALITY RISKSJetted tubs can harbor more bacteria and aren't invariably disinfected fully according to experts Ceiling fans curtain rods shower heads and other such spots are often neglected according to Laterrenia of Canne Bianche Lifestyle Hotel LaDell Carter founder of Maryland-based Royal Expression Travels announced she looks out for other red flags CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER When I enter a room and notice a dusty charging port next to the bed or a bedside lamp caked in residue that tells me the basics may have been done but the details were missed Carter informed Fox News Digital Housekeeping staff have been discovered to wipe down glassware between guests' stays not replace it according to reports Personally I never use mugs or glasses in the room without rinsing them out first Carter mentioned I usually boil water in the kettle and give each item a thorough rinse It s not about fear it s about good habits she added The ice bucket could be the next breeding ground During one norovirus outbreak at a hotel guests vomited in ice buckets contributing to the spread Brian Labus an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas explained Voyage and Leisure last year For more Lifestyle articles visit foxnews com lifestyleIce buckets should have a liner experts say Otherwise consider packing your own drinkware and a small cooler with ice If anything feels off alert the front desk staff Carter recommended The staff can have the room cleaned again or move you to another room