HOTEL ROOMS: A HIDDEN WORLD OF BUGS AND MICROBES

It is a well-known fact that germs are everywhere and it is impossible for humans to get rid of them. These tiny creatures help train our immune system, making us stronger when our organism constantly faces bacteria and improves its protection skills. So, don't worry about what you see next, and welcome to one of the favorite places among bacteria and microbes: hotel rooms.

Yes, hotel rooms seem to be so clean, but in some ways, they're more dangerous than a garbage dump. Everything is dirty at the landfill, and you're afraid to touch anything, but the dirt in hotel rooms is almost invisible. Germs are waiting for you here, and there are a lot of them.

So, the first problems appear already in the elevator. The buttons on the panel are swarming with various bacteria. Suppose no one cleans them with a disinfectant. In that case, these buttons become the arena where billions of microbes multiply and devour each other.

Take a look at an ordinary apartment building; there are elevators too. The same people live in this house, transmitting the same germs. When they touch the elevator buttons, your body encounters these microbes often and quickly develops the needed protection. But different people stay in hotels. A guy from some African country can bring a bacterium that will be dangerous for a girl from cold Norway. Therefore, after you touch the button, wash your hands with soap or disinfectant.

So the elevator opens its doors, and you walk towards your room. Watch out! There's another hot spot ahead. See that door handle? This area is another beloved playground for germs. How many people have touched it before you? How long has it been since it was washed? Do you know why such a handle is more dangerous than a toilet seat?

Most of all, microbes accumulate on our fingers and palms. When we don't wash them, we transfer a million bacteria from one place to another by touching the surfaces of different objects. So, the best way is to touch the door handle with the same hand you use to press the button in the elevator. As soon as you enter the room, wash your hands.

The good news is that hotel staff clean bathrooms and toilets much better than the rest of the room, so you're a bit safer here. But still, take a good look at the corners of the bathroom in the tiles. If you see black spots somewhere, it means there's a mole.

This thing can cause allergic reactions like runny nose and eye irritation. Mold can be pretty dangerous, but hotel staff usually watch it closely. So it's unlikely that there will be something like this in your room unless it's a cheap hotel. You don't stay there, do you?

Oh, by the way, did you know that toilet paper in a public toilet contains more germ than the toilet lid? You make a mistake if you cover the seat with pieces of paper. Many people touch it, which means they transfer bacteria onto it. Secondly, dirty little splashes get on the roll when someone flushes the toilet. Microbes feel more comfortable living on soft paper than on the hard surfaces of the toilet. So don't put it on the seat. But if you see a metal or plastic cover on the roll, you're lucky since the roll is protected from germs.

After you've done your business and washed your hands thoroughly, you have two options: wipe your hands with a paper towel or use a hand dryer. It doesn't matter what you choose; both variants have a lot of germs. But if you use the dryer, bacteria will fly all over the room, so better grab a towel.