How clean is that hotel room really?

Have you heard the story of the traveler who slips the hotel room TV remotes into a plastic bag before using them to flip through the channels? Germ-ridden remotes. It's the stuff of horror movies. And it's not only remotes. While hotel rooms are routinely cleaned by hospitality staff, it's common knowledge that not everything in the room is sanitized between stays. Take, for instance, the bedspread, which is oft overlooked in favor of fresh sheets. According to Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the Univ. of Arizona's Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, and consultant to green cleaning company Coverall, the bed is one of the six germiest places in even your own home. (Washing machines, carpets and rugs, salt and pepper shakers, kitchen sink and refrigerator round out the list, if you're curious.) Don't even begin to think about those hotel fitness centers...

So what questions should you ask your favorite hotel's staff? Start with some of those listed below. If they don't have an answer, direct them to data released today by J.D. Power & Associates, citing Gen Y moms as a sect that's now actively avoiding potentially toxic cleaning products and supporting brands that provide greener alternatives at home and elsewhere.

• Are cleaning processes and products used environmentally friendly? (The ISSA organization lists a helpful guide here.)
• Are perfumes or other odors—whether attractive or noxious—still present following the cleaning process? (They shouldn't be.)
• Are cleaning crews using hospital-grade disinfectants?
• Are cleaning crews using high-efficiency, multi-filtration vacuums to improve indoor air quality?
• Are hard-surfaced floors being cleaned with color-coded, microfiber flat mops with a single dip method for eliminating mop water contamination?
• Are personnel washing hands properly and changing gloves frequently?
• Are "no-touch" spray and vacuum systems being employed in showers and restroom areas whenever possible?

THIS POST SPONSORED BY: Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System