If you’re one of those people who loves a good soak in the tub, vacation probably feels like the perfect time to indulge in this simple luxury. Or perhaps you’re a parent who needs to give their kid a bath while you’re away on a trip.
But if you’re staying in a hotel, you may wonder exactly how clean the bathtub actually is ― or what it’s cleaned with.
According to a report on Safehome.org, shower curtains and shower floors (including bathtubs) have 60 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. In other words, toilet seats are pretty clean by comparison. Yikes.
Of course, cleaning your tub and replacing your shower curtain liner regularly can help with this issue, but in a hotel, you might not know exactly how often bathtubs are cleaned, or if they’re even cleaned after every guest leaves. So we turned to the experts to get the scoop on your favorite hotel amenity.
What Hotel Staff Want You To Know
According to Mary D’Argenis, president and founder of MDA Hospitality, a company that trains hotel housekeepers, yes, you can be confident that the tub (and entire bathroom) are taken care of after each guest leaves.
In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic was actually a game-changer (in a good way) for how hotel bathtubs are cleaned.
“Guest bathrooms are one of the most sensitive areas to clean in hotel rooms,” she said. “Guests expect the space to be sanitized and free of germs, and hotels made strategic efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to expressly communicate their cleaning practices.”
She added that hotels implemented protocols for indicating to guests which areas of the bathroom had been specifically sanitized — like bathtubs, toilet seats and counter spaces — so that the guesswork of “How clean is my bathtub?” was eliminated. In many places, you may have seen small cards or signs in your bathroom with this information.
Four years later, we’re all much less germ-cautious than we were even two years ago. But D’Aregnis said that many hotels had strict bathroom cleaning measures in place before COVID hit.
“For some hotel companies, sanitation practices were in place even before the COVID era and continue to be a priority,” she said. “Featuring their relationship with consumer-trusted brands … is reassuring to guests. Further, many of these trusted products require employee training to ensure they are used correctly. Hotel companies highlighting these partnerships support guest comfort and safety.”
Want specifics? A housekeeper of 12 years who asked to remain anonymous for legal reasons told HuffPost that at her hotel, “We use three different Ecolab-brand chemicals to clean the bathtubs as well as a Magic Eraser. We use the Magic Eraser for up to two days, and we don’t use a new Magic Eraser for each room.”
As for how clean your hotel bathtub actually is, the housekeeper we spoke with said it depends. “The rooms that get daily housekeeping of course are the cleanest, but when a hotel room goes multiple days without housekeeping service, I notice more grime and mildew in the bathtub,” she said. “If the hotel doesn’t have automatic daily housekeeping or the guest puts up the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, grime might build up in the bathtub for four, five or even more days until a housekeeper like me can finally clean the room at checkout.”
It’s harder to clean bathtubs in rooms like these, she explained. “I need to scrub harder and faster to try to get out days’ worth of mildew and buildup in just one cleaning,” she said. “It makes my arms and back sore, and I use more chemicals. I always recommend choosing a hotel that has automatic daily housekeeping.”
Should you be worried about any germs in your hotel bathroom?
Shaun Veran, a microbiologist, told HuffPost that even if there is some lingering bacteria in your hotel bathtub (or bathtub at home), it’s probably not very harmful overall.
“For most healthy individuals, the bacteria found in bathtubs are not extremely dangerous and cause for alarm. In fact, the vast majority of microbes in our homes come from our own bodies,” he said.
The types of bacteria typically found in bathtubs include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcus aureus, e. coli (most strains aren’t super dangerous, Veran stressed, especially if you’re not consuming them), and mold and mildew.
Healthy individuals are unlikely to see serious health consequences from exposure to these bacteria, but anyone who suffers from respiratory or skin issues may be more vulnerable to a reaction or infection.
What about the actual cleaning products? Many hotel groups now make sure to use eco-friendly products.
“In addition to trusted cleaning brand partnerships, some hotels have shifted to include eco-friendly cleaning products,” D’Argenis said. “Natural ingredients are safe and get the job done well. Cleaning supplies that contain hydrogen peroxide are preferred over bleach. Chemical-filled all-purpose cleaners are replaced with plant-based ingredients.”
D’Aregnenis added that in addition to keeping guests safe and relaxed, knowing the bathtubs they’re using are cleaned with high-quality products can help them feel better about how they’re spending their money.
“The emphasis on sanitized spaces with eco-friendly products provides guests comfort,” she said. “Protecting the environment and eliminating harsh chemicals allows us to feel better about how our money is spent during our stay.”
And if you really want to know how the bathtub is cleaned or what products are used, D’Aregnis said you can just ask — most high-quality hotels are more than happy to provide that information and assure you that your bathtub is nice and clean.
Whether you’re using the hotel tub for a shower or bath, rest assured that at most hotels, it’s cleaned well by professionals. Sit back and soak.