How To Sanitize A Hotel Room

Its that time of year that hotel stays pop up and we seem to be away from home more. Well, there is a hidden problem with this. Growing up, I would always be sick after staying at a hotel. It never failed-  and it was every single time. Mom started sending Lysol with me to clean the hotel room- everyone thought I was strange, but I stopped getting sick. After the Mr and I started dating, I went on vacation with his family and was happily shocked to see his mom sanitizing the hotel room with Lysol! Now, with the kids, we are even more careful.

I know that people think hotel rooms are clean, but they are far from it. I didn't realize how dirty they are until I worked at a "very clean" resort that was not all that clean at all. It would take more than 5 minutes for housekeeping to clean if they were cleaned thoroughly. If needed, they spray down the sinks, toilets, and tubs and wipe them. They change the sheets and pillowcases (I've stayed in some with evidence that they didn't even do that and these were national chains). They vacuum and wipe down the table with a wet cloth. Then, they look for anything that has to be done and call it done. We did more than that at the resort, but I still wasn't happy, so I ended up spending more time cleaning than the "official" housekeeping.

1. Create a cleaning kit. You don't have to do this. You can just take Clorox wipes and Lysol. However, I think creating a cleaning kit works best- you can keep it in your car all the time and have it when it is needed. Have- Lysol, Clorox Wipes, single-use laundry detergent, extra hand- sanitizer, and a cleaning cloth. You never know when you might need it. 

2. Clean the hotel room before you take everything inside, or you are just putting germs on your things. This is where the cleaning kit really comes in handy- it is already ready for you. 

3. Completely spray down the tub, toilet, sink, counter, bathroom floor and let it dry before you use it. Don't forget the bathroom doorknobs, toilet knob, sink and tub knobs, and light switches.

4. Soak the carpet with Lysol- I like where we stay now when we have a dog with us- they shampoo the carpets every day. 

5. Spray the bed- don't forget the pillows, under the pillows, both sheets, and blankets- get the whole thing, not just the top. 

6. Use a Clorox wipe on the table, chair arms, nightstand, clock, remote, TV buttons, TV screen, and handles of everything. Don't forget the air conditioner knob and light switches. 

7. Spray the fronts of any tables or drawers- kids touch everything. 

8. Don't forget the phone, doorknob, curtains, back of the door (once again, kids touch everything), and coffee pot/ hairdryer/ iron/ and other amenities. 

9. Let the room air out while you carry in your items. 

10. I know this is a lot of work, but once you are done, you'll be good to go for the rest of your trip. This may seem like overkill, but you never know what germs could have been spread before you got there, so it is worth not going home sick.