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Why hotel staff advise: ‘Boil hot water and pour it into the toilet as soon as you check in’?

Do you know why hotel staff advises you to do this?

18 March, 2024

When it comes to long trips like travel or business trips, staying in a hotel is essential. The following tips when checking into a hotel room will make your trip safer and smoother.

According to the staff, after checking in, you should use a kettle or electric pot to boil water and pour it into the hotel toilet.

Boil water and pour it into the toilet immediately upon check-in

This advice may seem confusing to some. We are often advised to carefully check for hidden recording devices or hidden cameras after check-in, check the cleanliness of the bed, indoor slippers, bath towels, check the hotel room phone, TV, and wifi connection… The reasons are quite understandable. But why do we need to boil water and pour it into the toilet?

According to Sohu, electric kettles are available in most hotel rooms, from budget to luxury, to serve guests’ needs for boiled water. However, no one can be sure what the previous guests used it for, and when they check out, whether the hotel staff cleaned it thoroughly or not.

Not every hotel ensures a 100% hygiene standard. In many budget hotels, the staff only cleans the room quickly and does not really care about the guests’ safety when using the facilities in the room.

Meanwhile, many guests use the electric kettle to cook noodles, soup, seafood, and even use it as a trash container… The media has also frequently reported hotel staff’s disgust in finding dirt and guests’ underwear in the electric kettle.

Even when used for the right purpose, if the kettle is used for a long time, passed through many hands, it will accumulate a lot of dirt and bacteria, causing bacterial growth. Therefore, when checking in, you should rinse the kettle, boil water to disinfect it, and then pour it into the toilet or drain in the bathroom to contribute to killing bacteria in these areas.

You should know a few tips to protect yourself

In addition, the toilet is in direct contact with our skin, making it prone to skin diseases. Therefore, after checking in, you should boil a pot of water to rinse the toilet rim. This action helps not only to disinfect the boiling water kettle but also to sterilize and limit the presence of bacteria on the toilet rim.

Furthermore, you should also put a layer of toilet paper or prepare a disposable toilet seat cover to ensure that bacteria from the toilet does not come into contact with our skin.

Frequently asked questions

Boiling water is a simple disinfectant. By pouring it into the toilet, you not only clean the kettle but also sterilize the toilet rim, reducing the presence of bacteria. This is important because the toilet is in direct contact with your skin, and poor hygiene can lead to skin diseases.

Yes, besides boiling water, you should also check for hidden recording devices and cameras, ensure the bed and linens are clean, and verify the phone, TV, and WiFi connection are functioning. Additionally, always use a layer of toilet paper or a disposable seat cover to create a barrier between your skin and the toilet seat.

Hotel rooms, especially those with high occupancy rates, can be breeding grounds for bacteria and potential health hazards. By taking these simple precautions, you can significantly reduce the risk of infection and ensure a safer and more enjoyable stay.