There’s nothing nicer than walking into a well-appointed hotel room. The neatly-made bed, the folded towels, and a sparkling clean bathroom all make for a welcome respite after spending hours on the road or in an airplane. However, in terms of sanitization, a neatly-made bed does not equal a germ-free room. 

Your hotel room is your home away from home, but with a major exception: the hundreds (or even thousands) of strangers from every corner of the world who have slept there before you. And, while your hotel may look and feel luxurious and squeaky clean, there’s always a chance that the housekeeping staff will miss germs left behind by previous guests. 

According to a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, can live on surfaces for anywhere from hours to days. 

Another study, conducted by the University of Virginia Health System, found that people infected with rhinovirus (the cause of half of all colds), left contagious germs on nearly 35% of the objects they touched. The study also showed that rhinovirus can live on objects and surfaces for at least a day. 

And we can’t forget about the research published in Scientific American back in 2012 that found about 81% of hotel room surfaces sampled held at least some fecal bacteria. 

All of these statistics are unsettling evidence of what might be waiting when you wheel your luggage into a suite. ​​Having a sanitary hotel room is essential under normal circumstances, but with coronavirus cases and flu cases rising across the country this holiday season, it’s a crucial way of helping keep travelers safe and healthy.

Luckily, we’re here to help you rest easy during your getaway. Your best defense against sneaky hotel room germs is Vital Oxide. 

One-Step Cleaning & Disinfecting Without Harsh Chemicals 

Our all-in-one cleaner and disinfectant product, Vital Oxide, kills 99.9% of cold viruses, flu viruses, and SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19). Vital Oxide is fragrance-free, dye-free, bleach-free, and VOC-free and kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria without harsh chemicals, noxious fumes, harmful residues, or alarming safety warnings. After use, Vital Oxide breaks down into simple salt and produces no harmful byproducts, making it an Earth-friendly choice. 

Vital Oxide can be used to clean and disinfect surfaces around the home, hotel room, Airbnb, workplace, school, on planes, trains, and automobiles, or anywhere there are germs! 

Steps to Disinfect

Before exposing a surface to a disinfectant, a pre-cleaning step is always required. The cleaning process can reduce germs by removing dirt, grime, and other residues that can harbor bacteria and viruses, but it does not reduce the germ load to the 99.9% level. Once a surface is clean, the disinfectant will be able to do its job. The disinfectant should always come into contact with 100% of the surface; otherwise, it won’t be as effective. Vital Oxide can be used to pre-clean surfaces before disinfecting under lightly soiled conditions. 

Use Vital Oxide to clean and disinfect: Spray and wipe Vital Oxide to clean, then spray and leave behind to disinfect. Just make sure you apply enough solution to remain wet for the proper contact time (five minutes for the coronavirus). 

Related: Cleaning, Sanitizing, & Disinfecting: Know the Difference

Hotel Room Surfaces to Clean and Disinfect

Especially when traveling, you want a product that gets the job done. Vital Oxide is versatile in its applications and can be used to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces around your hotel room, vacation rental, or Airbnb. It can also be used to sanitize soft surfaces (like hotel throw pillows) and food-contact surfaces (hotel room coffee maker, for example). 

When you first check-in to your hotel, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start cleaning and disinfecting. Follow this guide for quick and easy germ-busting: 

Start with the high-touch surfaces

Simply hitting the frequently touched surfaces with Vital Oxide goes a long way to get the germ-load down in a hotel room. Key places to clean and disinfect upon arrival (and frequently during your stay) include doorknobs, toilet handles, bathroom faucet handles, ice bucket, light switches, TV remote control, and the phone. After all, most of these surfaces are used by everyone in your hotel room, as well as room service, housekeeping, maintenance staff, and anyone else visiting your room. Just avoid spraying items like the light switches, remote, and phone directly with liquid. Instead, apply Vital Oxide onto a cloth and wipe.

Hit the bathroom surfaces

Bathrooms everywhere, not just hotel rooms, can be absolutely germ-packed. So make sure to clean and disinfect all hard surfaces, including the toilet seat and lid. It's also a good idea to spray and wipe the floor around the base of the toilet.

Clean and disinfect all hard surfaces 

Spraying and wiping down hard surfaces, like the night table, desk, coffee, table, and shelves. You don’t need to tackle every surface, but prioritize surfaces where you’ll set down items that will go near your face or mouth, like nightstands where you put your glasses or shelves that store glassware. 

Don’t forget to wash your hands

Frequent hand washing has been proven to reduce the transfer of colds and viruses and will help prevent germs from things you’ve touched entering your eyes, nose, or mouth. Make sure to watch your hands immediately upon arriving at your room and after you’ve disinfected everything that’s on the list above. Happy Holidays and safe travels!