A former hotel manager is warning guests that staff sometimes use your toothbrush to do the cleaning.
When we leave our hotel room for a day by the pool, to explore the city or to lay on the beach, we’ll usually lock up our ‘valuables’ in the safe. Perhaps we’ll throw in our passport and spare cash, maybe a few bits of jewellery or even our phone if we’re braving a screen-free few hours.
But we wouldn’t think to put our toiletries in there – who is going to steal our toothbrush?
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Well, they’re not exactly being stolen, more like being used.
Former hotel manager, Melissa Hanks has been sharing TikTok videos of her travel advice. And she responded to a user who said: ‘Also keep your toothbrush in your suitcase NOT ON YOUR BATHROOM COUNTER’, with a video sharing some grim truth.
The American wrote in the caption: “I have heard that this happens. I have personally never seen it. It is definitely NOT okay to do this.”
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She explains in the video: “Here is why you should not be rude to hotel staff or act like a total Karen your entire stay.”
Melissa does add: “Now full disclaimer, I’ve never done things like this and I would have definitely fired staff if I found out that they had done this.”
But she goes on to reveal the gross warning: “When turning your room while you’re staying at a hotel, I have heard that housekeepers who clean certain areas in bathrooms that you don’t want to have near your mouth.
“Keep your toothbrush packed away just to avoid any kind of situation like this.”
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The former hotel manager writes in the video that the staff use ‘guests’ toothbrushes’ to do the cleaning. It’s quite the grim act of revenge on rude holiday-goers.
In other clips, she gives her travel advice and tips for staying at hotels.
One video outlines ways guests can help out housekeeping when leaving a hotel room.
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These include: “Don’t leave garbage everywhere, put used towels on the back of the toilet for ease of pick-up, let staff know you have checked out and leaving a tip is always appreciated.”
Melissa also warns of ‘hotel scams’ to look out for. She says if you get a call from ‘the front desk’ trying to verify your card number, then you should ‘immediately hang up’.
It certainly pays off to be kind to housekeeping staff. And not just because it’s, well, the nice thing to do.
Jess Battison