5 Tips for Dealing with a Dirty Hotel Room

Q: What to do when you’re stuck with a dirty hotel room??

A: This literally just happened to me.

No matter how much research and planning you do, sometimes you STILL show up to a dirty hotel room. Scared to touch the sink, worrying when the sheets were last cleaned, wondering what may be living in the shower… is there anything worse than that feeling?? No — no is the correct answer here. But, fear not, fearless traveler! Assuming you’re stuck in this room without a replacement option, I’ve got some tips and tricks to put your mind at ease.

Here’s what I do when an accommodation skeeves me out.

Avoid bare feet.

Around the room and in the shower. I try to avoid walking around barefoot in just about ANY hotel room, but this is especially true for a room that feels dirty. Socks can easily be chucked in the wash after your stay, or if the place is TRULY abysmal, tossed out! Sandals are ideal for the shower, but assuming you didn’t bring them (i.e., you didn’t expect to show up to a hostel-style shower), my next move is to lay a hand towel on the floor of the tub. Yes, it will get soaking wet. But, standing on that while showering is an effortless way to avoid athlete’s foot!

Wear full-length pajamas.

This is no time for sexy lingerie. I’m not going to deep dive into how to check for bed bugs, so let’s just assume it’s something you’re worried about. When that’s the case, I bundle up at bedtime with a long sleeve top and pants, plus high socks. Basically, I’m trying to avoid easy access to my skin, because bed bugs can’t really bite through fabric. I then strip, quarantine, and wash those pajamas before re-wearing.

Careful with those sheets.

As a general rule of thumb, I avoid the outer layer of bedding in ALL hotel rooms; that bedspread likely gets washed every three months or so. Gross. I like to fold it down to the bottom of the bed, so there’s less likelihood of cuddling up with it mid-slumber. But again, if this is a particularly unclean hotel room (where you’re worried about the cleanliness of the base sheets), I will also cover the pillow with a sweatshirt before laying my head down. A family member of mine *swore* he got pinkeye from a nasty motel pillowcase, and that memory stuck with me. If I’m in a situation where I have access to a sleeping bag, I’ll whip that out and sleep in it on the bed instead. I always do that in backpacker hostels!

Sanitize EVERYTHING.

Even in a post-Covid era, I would recommend bringing a travel-size bottle of Purell and sanitization wipes. They’re multi-purpose! I like to wipe down the bathroom faucet, toilet seat, TV remote, light switches, and any common surfaces. If nothing else, it will help ease your mind to fall asleep.

Notify customer service.

This should probably be your first plan of attack, but assuming the front desk was less than helpful, you should ABSOLUTELY reach out to customer service. Worst case: you get a chance to say your piece. Best case: you’re refunded for a night you’d rather forget.

I swear I’m not a germaphobe, but sometimes accommodations really ARE that bad!

I hope this was helpful! Any cleaning hacks to add? Share your ideas below!