Hotel life: It's a dirty business
Source: Agencies |
June 20, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE next time you stay in a hotel, you might want to bring some extra hand-sanitizer.
A study on contamination levels in hotel rooms says that two of the most contaminated items were TV remote controls and bedside lamp switches.
Just as badly contaminated were surfaces more likely to be dirty, such as bathroom toilet seats and sinks, the study led by the University of Houston said.
Of greater concern, the study said, was that some of the highest levels of contamination were on items on housekeepers' carts, such as sponges and mops.
If these items are contaminated, they can lead to cross-contamination of rooms, making entire hotels dirtier.
Researchers sampled 18 surfaces in each hotel room, testing the total levels of bacteria on each one. Fecal bacteria was found on 81 percent of all surfaces.
Among the cleaner surfaces were bed headboards, curtain rods and door handles.
There are no regulatory limits for contamination of items in hotel rooms, the study said, but its findings suggest possible health risks for people with weak immune systems.
The report, which also involved the University of Houston, Purdue University and the University of South Carolina, sampled nine hotel rooms, three each in Texas, Indiana and South Carolina.
Katie Kirsch, one of the researchers, said the sample size was small but she hoped it would lead to a body of research that would develop "more effective and efficient housekeeping practices."
Being able to identify high-risk items would let housekeeping managers devote more time to cleaning them, making cleaning efforts more valuable and hotel rooms safer, Kirsch said.
A study on contamination levels in hotel rooms says that two of the most contaminated items were TV remote controls and bedside lamp switches.
Just as badly contaminated were surfaces more likely to be dirty, such as bathroom toilet seats and sinks, the study led by the University of Houston said.
Of greater concern, the study said, was that some of the highest levels of contamination were on items on housekeepers' carts, such as sponges and mops.
If these items are contaminated, they can lead to cross-contamination of rooms, making entire hotels dirtier.
Researchers sampled 18 surfaces in each hotel room, testing the total levels of bacteria on each one. Fecal bacteria was found on 81 percent of all surfaces.
Among the cleaner surfaces were bed headboards, curtain rods and door handles.
There are no regulatory limits for contamination of items in hotel rooms, the study said, but its findings suggest possible health risks for people with weak immune systems.
The report, which also involved the University of Houston, Purdue University and the University of South Carolina, sampled nine hotel rooms, three each in Texas, Indiana and South Carolina.
Katie Kirsch, one of the researchers, said the sample size was small but she hoped it would lead to a body of research that would develop "more effective and efficient housekeeping practices."
Being able to identify high-risk items would let housekeeping managers devote more time to cleaning them, making cleaning efforts more valuable and hotel rooms safer, Kirsch said.
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