“Is Hotel Shampoo and Conditioner Safe to Use? Experts Explain” [Mental Floss]:
Are you the kind of traveler who carefully packs TSA-approved shampoo and conditioner from home, or do you happily use whatever liquid is bolted to the hotel shower wall?
I loathe soap and shampoo dispensers because they don’t lather up properly. But I didn’t know I had to worry about them:
According to virologist Dr. Charles Gerba (via Smart Travel), bacteria and mold can potentially develop inside dispensers if containers are repeatedly topped off instead of fully emptied and sanitized between refills. Bathrooms are already humid, bacteria-friendly environments, and poorly maintained dispensers might pose problems. Basically, refillable systems depend heavily on proper hotel maintenance procedures.
Researchers at Arizona State University conducted a study on personal care products and found that, in 40 rooms across 20 different three- and four-star hotels, 75 percent of the samples contained bacteria as a result of cross contamination.
In addition to cross-contamination, there’s also the matter of human contact. British microbiologist Primrose Freestone told Travel Host that “bacteria, fungi, and viruses” left behind by previous guests can exist on virtually every surface in the room (not just the refillable shampoo and conditioner dispensers), meaning you may encounter them on anything you touch or place your belongings on when you settle in and unpack.
There’s also a lingering issue travelers rarely want to consider mid-shampoo: tampering. Unlike sealed travel-size bottles, refillable dispensers require a bit of faith. While there’s little evidence that tampering is widespread, some travelers feel uneasy knowing previous guests technically had access to the containers.
Of course, I don’t think we’re at cruise ship-Petri Dish levels here (or else we would have seen the Daily Mail headlines: “Horror and Fury as Hotel Soap Dispensers…”). And if you really get into a lather about your hotel room, worry about ventilation. Nevertheless….
Comments
Arghh … I’m a very infrequent traveller but have always liked the hotel shampoo dispensers because they allowed me to leave mine at home and are better for the environment than the small travel sizes many hotels provide. Now I gotta rethink the whole thing. I’ve long been aware of hotel surfaces not being properly sanitized (anyone read Nickeled and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich? Cleaners used one rag everywhere!). Not to mention the TV remote control — imagine what people watch and what else they’re touching! I do bring my own sanitizing wipes and never leave my personal items out in the bathroom for cleaners to touch. Am planning a fall trip with a friend to celebrate our mutual 65th birthdays and 5 decades of friendship, my packing list has just changed.
Shampoos dispensers in hotel bathrooms!