If You're Staying In A Hotel Soon, Read This First

If you are a germaphobe or a little bit of a hypochondriac, I suggest you grip something tight and get ready to scream I told you so. After conducting a small investigation, Phoenix's ABC15 has come up with a few reasons why you should never use the cups in hotel rooms. I know most of us are concerned with sheets and bedding — but turns out we've been focusing on the wrong items our whole lives. The real culprit of germs and bacteria are the glasses. Who would have guessed?

The news team went to four hotels in Arizona and found that three out of four failed to meet the health and safety measures by not placing the dirty glasses into appropriate dishwashers. Thinking that these violations might be part of a bigger problem, ABC15 expanded their investigation to other states with the help of news affiliates in those areas. Unfortunately, the results of those inquiries came back with similar conclusions: 11 out of the 15 hotels observed never took out the glasses for cleaning. What. A. Bummer. Not only do we have to worry about towels and sheets, but now we have to add glasses to the mix as well. Maybe this study is making a case for planning your trip with an AirBnB stop instead of a hotel.

To be fair, this investigation took place in 2008, and with the help of Yelp and other social media, businesses are more careful than ever to satisfy customers. When every guest is a potential media storm in the making, places tend to put more effort into their accommodations. Still — the findings were shocking and a worrisome. If it's that easy to skirt your responsibilities, what other corners are they cutting?

Ugh. Gross. I would hate to come back to a hotel room after being out all day and finding something like this on my counter. I understand that it's tedious, but it's part of the package. ABC15 found that one hotel had a maid spray the coffee pot and glasses with Lysol instead of taking it to be washed out. Since Lysol contains bleach (which is poisonous when ingested), it doesn't seem like a better solution. Again, what a bummer.

One of the hotels had a maid use a dirty hand towel to dry off a glass. That same towel was then used to clean up the floor where she used her foot to move it back and forth. Makes you really not crave a drink after that moment. It seems like the only person who likes the job and wants to do it perfectly is Jennifer Lawrence. In the clip below she talks about her ideal job is she wasn't an actress.

So next time you are in a hotel, make sure to wash the glasses yourself, or do not use them at all. You might be saving your mouth from touching some pretty nasty things.

Images: Pexels