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[shira]

I use what my grandparents used to use.









My immune system.


OCD people are hilarious. They are the same people that usually love yogurt.

Your grandparents have AIDS? edit: Or passed away - RIP

 

[CrunchyFrog]

I find it more surprising that there seemed to be little difference between the higher end places and the no tell motels. You wonder where all that extra money is going to then, cause that continental breakfast sure as shit does not cost $11 per person.

 

[Hiltz]

I knew how bad hotels are. My family and I stayed at a Best Western back in mid October for a wedding in Huntington Beach, CA. I should have brought my own pillow and blanket and slept on the floor instead.

 

[StriKeVillain]

Semen. Semen, everywhere.

 

[Lonestar]

All I know is, the Best Western in Covington, GA is horrible, don't stay there. Stayed there for business years ago, and got these massive rashes on my lower legs, that took weeks to go away.

I try to avoid using hotels as often as I can. Maybe why I don't go on many vacations.

 

[akira28]

wtf are you talking about?

Side scroller game theory, as applied to micro-biology. Except the smaller you are, the more powerful and deadly.

 

[oneils]

CBC does this every year. I'm not kidding.

Every. Single. Year.

They milk it so hard. Pretty much every cbc news show (marketplace, the national, evening news, whatever) will run this story now.

I get so tired of it. I wish they would just move on and maybe cover something else.

 

[Protein]

Real-talk. I'm ok with bacteria everywhere, just not ok with sleeping in someone's dried up man juice.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

You can watch Part 1 of the episode here (I think Part 2 will air next week):

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2303020389/

Really interesting watch. Black lights everywhere!

 

[1cmanny1]

This isn't new news. Everyone knows this.

 

[ReBurn]

I'll be staying in a hotel for a few nights this week. Anyone want me to send them some bacteria?

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I'll be staying in a hotel for a few nights this week. Anyone want me to send them some bacteria?

Take a few photos while using a black light.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

What a retarded investigation.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

The stuff that I've seen filmed in hotels rooms...

 

[Purkake4]

Never seen the lysol/purell fetish over here(Europe). Is it an American thing?

 

[SystemShock2]

The stuff that I've seen filmed in hotels rooms...

Do share!

 

[I H8 Memes]

Do share!

 

[Camp Lo]

Never take a shower without flip flops.

I've never taken a shower with flip flops.

 

[Dark Stalkers]

Does that guy still post here?

 

[Ville Pukema]

Just man up and take it all in. It's good for you.

It's unbelievable how long we've survived without Lysoling everything and using Purell constantly.

Germs make us stronger.

Like the people who freak out about someone taking a drink into the bathroom.

You're breathing in poo particles and microscopic urine mist. It's entering your nasal cavity, your throat, your mouth, you're swallowing your saliva containing these things so it's in your stomach, your digestive system, your eyeballs.

Get over it.

Don't be pussies. The shit you sleep in at home is probably only marginally cleaner, and if this is just normal human bacteria, it won't kill you.

Man up.

Breaking news: YOU are a cesspool of bacteria.

Spoiler

The human body is host to 10 times as many bacteria as its own cell count. True story

Wow, so much misinformation here and terrible advices. Ofcourse you shouldn't overreact to bacteria and go overboard killing all bacteria from your life, but it's really stupid to say its harmless and just manning up and stopping being pussy will deal with it.

You guys know that when you get wound infected its most likely your very own bacteria that causes the infection, which can be dangerous without proper treatment.

Travelers often get diarrhea from eating and drinking foods and beverages that have no adverse effects on local residents. This is due to immunity that develops with constant, repeated exposure to pathogenic organisms. Again "normal" bacteria fucking shit up.

Opportunistic pathogens take advantage of certain situations such as bacterial, viral or fungal infections that usually do not cause disease in a healthy host, one with a healthy immune system. A compromised immune system, however, presents an "opportunity" for the pathogen to infect. So normal bacteria just chilling on you, waiting for the perfect moment to KILL YOU.

Hope I dont sound too much of an jerk with this reply, I'm tired allready. But it gets under my skin when health is concern and people belittles the dangers.

 

[Kard8p3]

Oh God.

I'm stuck in a hotel room because my apartment caught fire..

:'( I'm already dead.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I use what my grandparents used to use.









My immune system.


OCD people are hilarious. They are the same people that usually love yogurt.

I'm not personally afraid, but for everybody squirming, it's easy to take some Lysol for peace of mind.

I get E3 flu every year, but I know that's viral and Lysol won't help.

 

[Pkaz01]

disappointed by the lack of hotel hell mentions in this thread

 

[entremet]

Meh. I got other things to worry about. We're such wusses these days.

 

[t26]

Only is if they have bedbugs

 

[Pachinko]

Newsflash, disgusting germs are literally everywhere. You can live in a kleenex box like howard hughes or you can get on with your life.

 

[CygnusXS]

Hey, I work at a hotel in Vancouver!

It's all true.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

I don't mind bacteria as that's just going to be part of reality. The bad part is housekeeping using the wrong tools for various jobs. That's an issue.

Just ensure the housekeeping staff is using proper cleaning methods and problems would be minimized.

Edit: And the use of sanitization washers for towels and bedding.

 

[Buba Big Guns]

You can watch Part 1 of the episode here (I think Part 2 will air next week):

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2303020389/

Really interesting watch. Black lights everywhere!

You guys need to watch this. It's not just that rooms are filled with bacteria, you can get pretty sick from this shit. Disgusting.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

You guys need to watch this. It's not just that rooms are filled with bacteria, you can get pretty sick from this shit. Disgusting.

The bit about c. difficile really creeped me out since I read a story about a spate of deaths involving that bacteria in local hospitals recently. That's some serious shit.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

The bit about c. difficile really creeped me out since I read a story about a spate of deaths involving that bacteria in local hospitals recently. That's some serious shit.

Disregard the hysteria behind this for one second, and ask yourself: How many people have ever contracted a C. difficile colitis from a hotel room?

The answer is few to none.

Unless you're old and on antibiotics, it probably isn't going to do anything to you. Heck, even if you're old and on antibiotics you'll probably be fine. Just practice normal hygeine and you'll be okay.

 

[surrealist]

Powernews did a great story on hotel germs. Disgusting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhjtaqmp_po

 

[IrishNinja]

i stayed in many eastern european rooms/hostels that were quite nice compared to some in the west. you kinda expect this from most of those places though, it's what you're paying for.

I don't mind, just give me windows which open!!!

this, all day

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Part 2 of the Marketplace special airs tonight, and they've run another story about it:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/11/15/marketplace-hotel-ice-air.html

Hotel ice, air hold potential hazards, CBC test finds

Marketplace sweep unearths E. coli, other potential threats

Ice machines and air vents in hotels tested by CBC Marketplace were found to house potentially dangerous bacteria, including E. coli.

Analysis of air vents unearthed mould, rust, dust and pathogens, while bacterial tests on ice machines discovered coliforms, a possible sign of fecal contamination.

Traces of coliform bacteria were found on ice machines in each of the six hotel chains tested. One test found a non-deadly strain of E. coli bacteria.

Poor maintenance is giving rise to potentially dangerous bugs, said microbiologist Keith Warriner.

"That's substandard," he said. "That's not what you would expect from a hotel, be it a budget hotel or a high end.

"The minimum standard is to have clean ice, and it's not difficult," he said. "All you have to do is maintain the machine… and it's obvious they're not doing that."

Air vent 'fail'
The tests were part of a sweeping probe into hotel cleanliness by CBC Marketplace.

Thousands of bacterial tests were conducted in dozens of rooms at six hotel chains in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, including budget hotels EconoLodge and Super 8, mid-range hotels Best Western and Holiday Inn and the luxurious Fairmont and Sheraton.

Previous tests uncovered antibiotic-resistant “superbugs," such as C. difficile and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, at every hotel chain. Analysis also determined the top bacterial spots in hotel rooms are “high-touch” surfaces like bed comforters, telephones and remote controls.

Air vents also rated high on the list of areas in a hotel room with high bacterial contamination.

Using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) meter – which measures microbial contamination on a numerical scale – Warriner found high levels of contamination on multiple air vents, including one that had a "shocking" rating of 202,090.

A reading over 1,000 is commonly considered a "fail."

“[The vent] affects the air you breathe,” Warriner explained. “It's throwing all these bugs out, and essentially you breathe them in, and once they get down into their lungs, that's where these microbes can take over.”

General air unit maintenance could fix the problem, says Warriner.

“[There's] no excuse for that. Just a little bit of maintenance, change the filters, clean off the surface,” he said. “But it hadn't been cleaned for months, surely.”

The microbiologist says potentially hazardous air vents are easy to spot when staying in a hotel room.

“Look for rust and other defects," said Warriner. "That's where the bacteria and moulds and microbes gather. So, if you walk into a hotel room, the first thing that's going to hit you is the smell. So that should give you a first indication."

Housekeepers can’t keep up
Air vents and ice machines point to problems with hotel maintenance, but overtaxed housekeeping staff may be another factor in the unsanitary conditions uncovered by Marketplace.

Canada's hotel housekeeping union aims for a cap of 15 to 16 rooms cleaned per day, allowing approximately 30 minutes per room during an eight-hour shift.

Toronto Sheraton housekeeper Brigida Ruiz says some housekeepers use shortcuts, such as leaving some areas uncleaned or reusing rags to wipe down multiple surfaces, because the target of 30 minutes per room isn't enough time for a thorough cleaning job.

“That's the reason why the room attendants are doing the shortcuts, and not doing it properly,” she said. “Too many rooms and too much pressure."

Bruno Wall of the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre says its staff doesn’t face undue pressure.

“We are telling staff, 'Take the time you need to do the job right,' " said Wall.

But Ruiz counters that many staff do take the time – the unpaid time.

“They will stay an extra hour just to finish without getting paid," said Ruiz. "That's the kind of pressure the management are giving to the room attendants and housekeeping.”

Hotels respond
Marketplace contacted all six chains involved in the tests. Best Western, Holiday Inn, Sheraton, Fairmont and Super 8 responded with written statements saying they will take any necessary action to improve cleanliness and guest safety.

Tim Oldfield, EconoLodge’s managing director of franchise performance, agreed to an on-camera interview and said he was “disappointed” by the findings.

"[It] suggests that we need to re-visit our housekeeping practices, specifically at these hotels,” he admitted.

Sheraton hotels pledged specific action on mouldy air vents and also vowed regular maintenance of ice machines.

Best Western also pointed out that housekeeping staff are now equipped with ultraviolet wands used to kill germs.

The UV light emitting wands are fine, says Warriner, as long as they are used properly – holding them for about 20 seconds over a surface to kill germs.

"I would imagine people would just wave it like a magic wand thinking, ‘Oh, it's clean now.’ So I suspect it's not that effective.”

Toronto housekeeper Ruiz acknowledged that Sheraton managers also inspect the rooms, but they’re looking for obvious problems like hair or garbage.

According to former hotel inspector Kristy Adams, visual inspections aren’t enough. Even though many hotels have the technology to perform better tests, she says the issue boils down to budget and company commitment.

“It's going to come down to dollars and who can afford it, but also what the brand's standards are,” she said.

Those standards are up to the individual hotels because the industry is self-policing, Adams said.

“We don't have an outside government body that comes into hotels … or evaluates a hotel to see if the hotel is abiding by governmental standards,” she said.

Warriner thinks the shocking findings could lead to positive change for the industry and guests.

“I'm hoping this study enables hotels to develop a plan to say, ‘Right, we've got a problem now. How are we going to solve it?'"

 

[WaterChroma]

Talk about the worst place to be at. I understand shortcuts being made but using a toilet rage on a faucet is just plain irresponsible jerk-face actions. I wonder if people have died in the hotels because of the negative effort to clean rooms.