Hotel Hot Spots to Check Out When You Check In

• The bedspread You may be tempted to flop down first thing but don't do it until you remove the bedspread, which is rarely, if ever, cleaned. Fold it up and stash it well away from your belongings. Then check to the sheets. Look for hairs, any other evidence they were used, and traces of bed bugs. If the sheets aren't clean, ask for a new room (if the sheets are dirty the rest of the room probably is.) If you find evidence of bed bugs, get a refund on your reservation and find a new hotel. If one room has bed bugs, others will too.
• The phone and remote control Two of the most handled places in hotel rooms are almost never cleaned and harbor all manner of bacteria and viruses. Experts recommend using a Ziploc bag as a makeshift glove when handling the remote or using a chlorine antibacterial wipe and wiping down every button, crack, and crevice, spending extra time on the power button, which is touched the most.
• The bathroom The worst offender is probably one you won't suspect. Those cute courtesy glasses by the sink almost never get a proper dishwashing and are more likely wiped down with a towel from the room, leaving them loaded with bacteria. Skip them unless you're supplied with plastic glasses sealed in plastic. Experts recommend travelling with your own collapsible cup.  
• The carpet A quick vacuum does nothing but pick up dust and move bugs and fungus around. So, bring slippers or flip-flops to protect your feet. 
  

Home Sweet Harm: Hidden Dangers in the Guest Room

Staying at a friend or family's house means more quality time with the people you love, but it also means more one-on-one time with the germs they harbor. If you're preparing for guests, don't just vacuum, use a germicidal cleaner on all carpets and use a chlorine-based cleaning product in the guest bathroom applying it with a lot of love and elbow grease.

Makes Your Guest Room a Clean Room