Hotel cleaning goes high-tech
The most regularly touched places in a hotel room, including the telephone, are breeding grounds for bacteria. — Picture by ARENA Creative / shutterstock.comNEW YORK, June 1 — Ever wondered what kinds of nasty germs are lurking on your hotel television remote?
Well actually, the answer could be less unpleasant than you were expecting, thanks to a new generation of tools hotels are turning to in order to keep rooms spick-and-span.
This week, USA Today revealed that Best Western is to use sophisticated technology, perhaps more at home on shows such as CSI or Dexter than on a maid’s trolley, to bust bugs in bedrooms.
Tools include a backlight which can show biological matter unseen by the human eye, and a powerful ultraviolet ‘wand’, which zaps germs that cause illnesses such as E-coli, H1N1, salmonella and norovirus.
That means that remotes can be easily disinfected without the use of wipes, along with other germ hotspots.
The report says that Best Western has already seen happier customers when using the technology, which will be rolled out to all 2,200 Best Western hotels in the US by the end of 2012.
Despite being cleaned daily, hotel rooms are breeding grounds for bacteria, normally in the places that are most regularly touched — the door knob, light switches, TV remote, clock radio and telephones.
Bathrooms can also harbour nasty viruses, experts suggest, including E.coli on the underside of the toilet seat, the athlete’s foot virus on the shower floor and all manner of viruses in the bath and pipes.
With travellers paying increased attention to cleanliness, Best Western’s new policy could see a host of its competitors rushing to follow suit, resulting in cleaner rooms for all.
Until then, it might be worth packing some antibacterial wipes — and maybe a dark light of your own to be on the safe side. — AFP/Relaxnews
