Dirty, Germs-Prone Things Often Touched During Travel

Sickness is the last thing you want to bring back from your trip. However, because germs hide in hotels, restaurants, and other tourist destinations, the likelihood of coming into touch with disease-causing organisms is significant.

While most hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions strive to make their premises as clean and germ-free as possible, germs will always find a way to hide. Knowing where the highest concentrations of germs are likely to be and how to avoid germs from making you sick are among the keys to safe travel.

1. Handrails: When individuals are ill, they frequently have germs on their hands. Therefore bacteria are typically found on objects that humans cling onto, such as handrails. When using stairs, escalators, buses, trains, and other public places, the best approach to avoid taking up germs from handrails is to avoid touching them at all if possible. If you do touch a handrail, avoid touching your mouth or nose straight away, and wash your hands or use a hand sanitiser to disinfect as soon as possible.

2. Doorknobs: Public doorknobs are also a breeding ground for bacteria. Wipe out the doorknobs in your hotel room and, if possible, avoid touching doorknobs in public. If you do touch a doorknob, make sure not to contact your mouth or nose, and wash your hands or use a hand sanitiser as quickly as possible to disinfect.

3. Remote controls: The TV remote control in your hotel room may not be sanitised after the last guest used it. Before using it, give it a once-over with a disinfectant wipe.

4. Light switches: Many individuals touch light switches, potentially infecting them. When turning on and off light switches in public locations, use the back of your hand, and disinfect light switches in your hotel room before touching them.

5. Tables for the public: Restaurants normally do an excellent job of disinfecting table surfaces between visitors, however outside eating and picnic tables may not be cleaned as frequently. Bring disinfectant wipes with you, and before seating, wipe off outside tables and benches.

6. Containers for condiments: Germs are frequently found on mustard and ketchup bottles, salt and pepper shakers, and other condiment containers. When feasible, avoid utilising these containers and instead request single-serving packets of these goods from your server.

7. Tray tables in aeroplanes: Because flight attendants and maintenance workers have little time between flights to clean an aeroplane, the chances of your tray table being cleaned are small. Clean your tray table, seat controls, and other surfaces in and around your flight seat using disinfectant wipes.