Don’t Trust Your Hotel’s COVID-19 Cleaning Policy
Gross hotels. I said it. This is something we often forget, especially if we are staying in a more upmarket place than Schitt’s Creek Motel, but wherever you sleep, where 1) other people sleep and 2) someone else has to clean, you always fail. … This is the way it is, and we do not like to think about it, but the fact does not go away from this.
And if you are unlucky enough (or foolish enough) to travel during these joyous pandemic times, I would never assume for a second that hotels promising ultra-clean experiences in your room are actually following it. The Inside Edition recently investigated how well hotels are adhering to their COVID-19 clean-up policies, which can include promises like wiping down surfaces or, in what I consider basic, changing sheets between stays of different guests.
So what can you do about it?
Get a wipe
Well, for starters, I’d take an annoying but personally enjoyable step with me – bringing your own napkins when you travel. You don’t have to go crazy packing a bottle of bleach in your carry-on, but a small pack of sanitizing wipes is the easiest and most portable item you can then use to wipe down surfaces in your room.
Whatever you say about how long certain diseases remain on the surface ; I don’t think you should assume that you will die if you sit on the sofa in the hotel that someone else was sitting on. However, for your peace of mind, it doesn’t hurt to quickly wipe down your remote control, thermostat, counters, your room knobs, and even your bathroom counter. (Feel free to change this list if your concern permits.)
Also, maybe … bring your own water bottle to drink. I have nothing against what you find in your bathroom, but I would be a little more skeptical that they are actually clean, dishwasher-style, and also managed to avoid any cleaning sprays previously used for said room.
A fresh pillowcase is your new best friend
And now we come to the main point: what about the bed? Well, don’t wipe the sheets with your pack of napkins, as this will make the friends and / or family you travel with really think. However, you have to assume that your sheets may be the same sheets that someone else used, and your pillow hasn’t changed since no one knows when.
You probably don’t want to take an extra pair of sheets with you when traveling because it gets a little cumbersome, but you can at least bring an easy-to-fold pillowcase with you. It doesn’t take up much space in your luggage and at least allows you to pretend to sleep on a clean surface. (That pillow may not be as clean underneath as the various cases covering it, but at least the top layer will be fresh.)
Oh, and if you don’t need that top comforter on the bed, maybe don’t sit on it; If I remember, this is another item that is less likely to be cleaned regularly than its counterparts.
You probably don’t need to bring a towel
Should I take towels with me? The poll came out. Again, the towels are bulky and unwieldy and I feel like this is at least one area where your hotel is more likely to offer something fresh and clean. If your towel smells weird or is still damp when you check in, feel free to call for something new. However, it was only in the poorest of places that a previous guest’s used towel could be returned for another person’s use; Sheets are a big headache, but putting a new towel on the hanger is a one-second exercise.
And it’s all! I hate germs, but that’s all I can do to make sure my hotel room is clean enough. Just don’t think about what’s probably not clean, and definitely don’t watch TV shows like The Other Dirty Room that will never make you want to travel again.