According to researchers from the University of Houston led by Katie Kirsch, among the surfaces in a hotel room that is most likely to be contaminated with potentially sickness-inducing bacteria, including streptococcus and staphylococcus, are the bedside lamp switch and the television remote.
The study, according to Kirsch, was not intended to scare people away from staying in hotels, but was rather aimed at improving cleaning practices. It was conducted in three hotel rooms located in Texas, Indiana and South Carolina, where the researchers collected samples from 19 surfaces.
They tested the levels of total aerobic bacteria and coliform (fecal) bacterial contamination on each of the surfaces.
The lowest levels of contamination were found on bed headboards, curtain rods and bathroom door handles.
While some of the most contaminated samples, including the toilet and the bathroom sink, were to be expected, the highest levels of contamination, however, were found in the maid’s cleaning cart, including gloves, mops and sponges – noting that these items would easily carry the bacteria from room to room.
'Identifying high-risk items within a hotel room would allow housekeeping managers to strategically design cleaning practices and allocate time to efficiently reduce the potential health risks posed by microbial contamination in hotel rooms,' Kirsch explained.
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