Everyone loves the excitement of upcoming vacations and travel destinations. Sometimes a new scenery, a nice hotel, or just the experience of the journey is exactly what we need to take a breather in our endlessly busy lives and appreciate our surroundings. What’s not anticipated, however, is not getting the most out of our stay because we catch a cold abroad. There’s nothing like getting sick on vacation to put a damper on the mood. In this post we’ll go over a few sanitation and cleaning tips when traveling to stay healthy and well!
Airport and airplane cleaning tips
Many people who have gotten sick on vacation believe they caught a bug on the plane ride to their destination or from a crowded airport. A great way to avoid catching anything in these areas is by being self-aware of places you know you must physically touch and sanitizing these items beforehand. Here’s a few ways to help keep the germs at bay:
- Use alcohol wipes on airplane seats or any seating area you may use.
- Use alcohol wipes on other resting areas like tables, armrests, and counters.
- Use alcohol wipes on all miscellaneous areas required to touch such as handles and knobs, doors, or water fountains.
- Wash your hands before and after you eat, after buying anything from the shops, and when you get on the plane.
- Keep hand sanitizer in your personal item to use periodically.
Hotel and rental cleaning tips
Most hotels and other rental properties will be up to par as far as hygiene and cleanliness standards go, as they are regularly checked and reviewed. However, if the place you’ll be staying at has dry air or a residual cigarette smell, or if it’s just a tad older with dust or dander residue it could potentially cause you to become ill. If you’re prone to allergies or have a sensitive respiratory system, these tips can help wherever you stay:
- Use a humidifier on your nightstand from an hour before you go to bed to an hour after you wake up.
- If you have room service, ask the attendants to do a cleaning every day.
- Bring your own pillow or pillow case to put on the room pillow you’ll be sleeping on.
- Keep house slippers in your room or rental to only be used in that area.
- If you use the coffee pot, make sure to wash or rinse it with hot water first.
- If the tissue box looks like it’s been sitting for a while, don’t risk it. Instead, ask for a new box of tissues or bring your own.
Outing and sightseeing cleaning tips
Although it’s important to enjoy yourself and not worry about all the little details when vacationing, there are small ways to help your immune system while having fun in your destination. These tips are easy and quick with no interruption to your actual vacation experiences:
- If you’re going from one spot to the next such as bar hopping or shopping, try to wash your hands at least once at each place.
- When enjoying nature such as a beach or hiking, bring a first aid kit, napkins, soap, and an extra bottle of water for cuts or touching of waste matter.
- At restaurants try to drink from a straw (that comes wrapped).
- When you get back to your room, leave shoes outside if possible, and separate the clothes you wore into your dirty laundry pile.
