Study Reveals “Germ-iest” Spots in Hotels
Hotel rooms are normally associated with luxury and comfort – but a new study opens people’s eyes to the unseen things that one may get from them: sickening bacteria.
The results of a study conducted by researchers from the University of Houston, Purdue University, and the University of South Carolina, hoped to improve cleaning practices at hotels and motels across the country.
The researchers, led by Katie Kirsch of the University of Houston, measured germs on practically anything and everything – including curtain rods and bathroom sinks – in nine hotel rooms in three states, and found that even if something looks clean, it does not necessarily follow that it is, indeed, clean.
Kirsch told msnbc.com: “A visual assessment can’t tell you about bacteria and viruses… It can tell you what’s on the surface, but not if it’s been disinfected.”
The study consisted of the swabbing of surfaces, placing these samples on ice, and flying them to the University of Houston microbiology lab for analysis. The analysis conducted a search for such aerobic bacteria as streptococcus and staphylococcus – germs that are known to cause illnesses – as well as coliform, or fecal, bugs.
The results of the analysis revealed that the “hot spots” for aerobic bacteria in hotels are bathroom sinks and floors, main light switches, and TV remotes. TV remotes had a mean of 67.6 colony-forming units of bacteria (CFU) per cubic meter squared.
The main light switches, on the other hand, had a mean of 112.7 CFU, while the telephone keypad had 20.2 CFU.
Tags: avoid germs in hotel, bacteria in hotel, germ spots in hotel, germs in hotel
