Ask the Expert: What are the dirtiest areas of a hotel room?

Whether you’re a germaphobe or you just want to be a bit more mindful of cleanliness with the COVID-19 outbreak spreading around the world, hotel experts have spilled their secrets and reveal the items you don’t want to touch (without cleaning) in a hotel room.

“I always try to wash the glassware that's in the hotel room,” Christophe Lamber, a former hotel employee told Yahoo Canada “Anything you're putting in your mouth, rinse it.”

If you’re thinking that a more expensive, luxurious hotel will be completely void of any dirt or grime - that’s not exactly the case. Although it may make a more obvious difference with the cleanliness of the room overall, there are still some areas that are more commonly missed by housekeeping - even in an upscale suite.

“So the vomit buckets, AKA the ice buckets, I wouldn't use those unless you have a liner and this is regardless of the caliber of hotel you're staying at,” Lambert revealed. “Just don't touch it.”

If you’re staying at a more high-end property, Keshvi Radia, a current hotel employee, has a tip for anyone who is particularly concerned about having a squeaky-clean room.

“If somebody does have any kind of, like, germophobic or, like, allergies or anything like that, they should let us know in advance, and we would do a deep clean of the room,” Radia said. “So everything would be stripped, the bed would be moved, we would clean behind all the bed boards and all that kind of stuff.”

But if you’re still not convinced, Radia says you should clean the toilet seat, shower knobs and other small areas that are more easily missed by housekeeping.

Lambert also recommends staying away from any comforters or blankets in hotel rooms, which are less common nowadays.

“It used to be, like, stay away from the comforter,” he said. “Because they usually don't get washed and then people put their luggage on there, shoes, and god knows what [on it].”