Yahoo Lifestyle 
The grossest spots in your hotel room you need to know
While everything may look all nice and clean when walking into a fresh hotel room, it may actually be a germaphobe’s nightmare, littered with hidden nasties and remains from previous guests.
If you’re planning a holiday in a hotel room, germ experts have pinpointed the places to really be wary of
SHOWER SURFACES
The thought of soaking in a warm bath while on holidays sounds like a pretty nice idea to relax right? That is until you think of the lingering germs left from the people before you who had the same idea.
“Keep in mind there’s a [film] that forms over time in the tub and that holds organisms,”microbiologist Philip Tierno told NY Post.
It’s recommended to limit exposure to all bathroom surface as much as possible, meaning short showers are your best bet.
Wearing thongs or shower shoes is also a great idea otherwise Philip suggests squirting some shower gel onto the bath surface and letting the water run for a while before stepping in.
SHOWER HEAD
Ironically taking a shower in a hotel is like being in a germ battlefield because now it’s the shower head that you need to look out for.
While we all hope shower heads get a thorough clean in between each guest stay, it is one of those spots that’s easy to miss, leaving the potential for exposure to legionella bacteria which can be quite harmful in serious cases.
So again, best to keep the water running for a while before stepping in to let all those nasties be filtered out.
TOILET
You were waiting for this one, weren’t you? Well, you guessed it, make sure to be wary before using a toilet seat.
The recommendation: check that it’s clean, then clean it again.
Phillip suggests travelling with alcohol wipes or other disinfectants to wipe down the seat and the flush handle again to avoid risks of catching something that could make you sick.
REMOTE CONTROL
Eek… we don’t even want to think about the number of hands that have used the hotel remote controls and what makes it worse is that it’s not something easy to clean or would even get cleaned at some places.
And what remains is truly gross… as in, put the remote in a Ziploc bag before using it type of gross.
“Human hair, bodily excretions based on what [people] touch before they touch the remote … insect parts that may be part of the room’s dust … cosmetics, even food,” are just some of the germs that Phillip said can seep in between the buttons.
BED
It’s often assumed that the bedsheets are clean but please do yourself and double check with a closer inspection because there have been times that they haven’t been changed.
Otherwise, Phillip says that dust allergies are another thing to worry about, recommending any necessary medications like inhalers or eye drops or tablets be kept nearby during the night.
CARPET
Yeah, don’t walk around your hotel room barefoot either as the carpets are a common place for those dust mites to hide.
If you do want to kick off your shoes for a more relaxed feel it’s suggested you wear slippers – although now we’re all paranoid perhaps bring your own instead of the hotel provided ones.
Anyone seriously prone to dust allergies may even want to request a hypo-allergenic room that comes with medical-grade air purification and microfibre linen.
SOFT FURNITURE
After what’s often a long day of travelling or exploring, most of us are guilty of slumping straight onto the hotel couch with exhaustion and the thought of germs far from your mind.
But if you do take on a germaphobic view, you’re likely to be haunted with the thought of sweaty bodies resting after long hike, people resting their unclean hands on the armrests, or the worst: people sitting on them nude leaving behind bacteria that has the potential to cause staph infections.
Are you turned off staying at a hotel yet? Becuase we are.
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