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Winter is here, and the holiday season is just getting started. With the weather at home frightful for many, plenty of families are planning to get away for the holidays by staying at a nice, clean hotel in a gorgeous travel destination. In fact, vacationing is so popular during this season that in 2018, hotel transactions in the Northeast totaled 6.11 million dollars.
There are plenty of options available for family lodging during your holiday vacation, but have you considered the health implications of staying in a hotel or even an Airbnb? There’s no telling just how many people stayed in your space before you, and if it hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned, you could be exposing your family to several health hazards. Here are a few things you should look for in your hotel room when you arrive to let you know that it’s safe and clean.
From The Ground Up
One of the first places you should look when assessing the cleanliness of your hotel room is the floor. What material is it made of – wood, tile, or carpeting? Wood and tile are fairly easy to spot dirt on, but carpets create additional problems because of how quickly they can trap dust and debris. Carpets should be thoroughly vacuumed before new guests arrived, and any serious mess left by a previous guest should be deep-cleaned. The latest technology to come on to the carpet cleaning scene is dry foam carpet cleaning. This method provides not only a thorough cleaning but there is zero drying time needed. However, if you notice a damp spot on the carpet that’s otherwise clean right after you check-in, don’t worry too much – it’s likely a sign that the carpet was spot-cleaned.
Avoiding Mattress Mayhem
One of the areas most hotel guests worry about most is the bed, and you’d be right to have some concerns. After all, you don’t want to be sleeping on sheets that were used by the last set of guests before you. Additionally, beds are notorious for harboring dirt, germs, and worst of all, pests. A whopping 95% of pest professionals report treating apartments and condominiums for bed bugs. Before climbing into bed for the evening, check your bed thoroughly – report anything that looks like small, black dots immediately, as they can be signs of bugs. This happens fairly rarely, however. To make sure you have clean sheets, check how the bed is made. Most hotels are very particular with how their housekeepers are trained to make the beds, and it’s pretty easy to spot when someone hasn’t made the bed properly. This could be a sign that you need new sheets. During your stay, most of the time you’ll be able to request fresh sheets as you need, otherwise, housekeeping will generally replace them every couple of days.
Keep Track Of Cleaning Chemicals
If your hotel room looks absolutely spotless, there are still a few things you should watch for. For example, if you’re staying in a smaller bed-and-breakfast or an Airbnb, it’s possible that the cleaning materials are stored in your room, rather than in a separate room with housekeeping supplies. Make sure to keep any cleaning supplies away from where your children can get to them. One EPA study confirmed that the toxicity of household cleaners are three times more liable to cause cancer than external pollution. Many hotels use heavy-duty cleaners, which, while effective, can be dangerous when handled incorrectly. If you’re concerned about the types of cleaning agents your lodging uses, try to contact them about it before your stay. It’ll be easier to accommodate than putting in a request as soon as you arrive since sometimes housekeeping will need to prepare an entirely separate room in order to meet the requirements.
Most hotel rooms are incredibly clean right when you arrive, but having a few tips to identify a dirty hotel room can keep you and your family safe and healthy during your holiday travel. And it’s not like you can afford a maid service — which can run upwards of $300 — while you’re on vacation. By knowing what to look for in your lodging, you and your family can have a wonderful and healthy vacation to end 2019.