Dirty Laundry: The Real Life Tales of Unsanitary Practices in Hotels and Restaurants
Have you ever caught a maid doing something really unsanitary when cleaning? Whether it was at your house, hotel, or restaurant, it can be quite a unsettling experience. I certainly have faced such situations, some of which were based on real-life tales that truly highlight the importance of hygiene and cleanliness.
Maid Practices: Cleaning with Unsanitary Towels
During my high school days, I worked at Pizza Hut where I witnessed some unhygenic practices. We used a bucket filled with cleaner and clean towels. The process was straightforward: grab a towel, wring it out, and use it on a surface before putting it back in the bucket for reuse. This procedure, while cost-effective, lent itself to cross-contamination. One time, I observed a colleague taking a towel from the bucket, cleaning the bathroom, and then returning it straight to the same bucket without washing it. These towels might later be used for food preparation areas, posing a significant health risk.
The troubling part was that this went on despite the apparent knowledge that such practices could be harmful. So, I never directly caught someone doing it, but when I worked as a maid, a colleague told me an incident that made me question the true extent of some unhygienic practices.
A Miserable Experience
My colleague, who used to work in housekeeping at a hotel, shared a story about a particularly nasty guest. The guest derided the city she lived in, her job, and herself, declaring herself to be "just a maid" despite numerous achievements. However, this guest's attitude paled in comparison to the treatment he directed at his maid. Despite treating his "just a maid" with contempt, the guest demanded that she clean his room to a "perfect standard." Remarkably, the maid took a drastic measure just before she cleaned the toilet: she took his toothbrush and ran it along the inside of the toilet bowl. Can you imagine? This was a disturbing reminder of how important it is for both customers and staff to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and cleanliness.
Hotel Room Hygiene: Drinking Glasses and Surprises
There are several instances where hotel hygiene practices are questionable. One recurring issue is the use of dirty drinking glasses left for guests. If you use a hotel that provides actual glass drinking glasses, I highly recommend washing them yourself before using them. I once witnessed a maid use the same wash rag, which she had used to clean the toilet, to clean the glasses and return them. Another instance involved a fresh hotel room where all four cups were left on the cup tray upside down, but three of them still had pink lipstick marks and greasy fingerprints on them. These are blatant examples of potential contamination and the importance of maintaining proper hygiene practices in hotel settings.
A Tragic Incident Involving Cleaning Products
Reflecting on the importance of proper procedures, one of the most disturbing incidents I encountered involved a resort located on the 6th floor that used non-labeled cleaning products. In the early 1990s, these products were stored in used water bottles with hotel labels on them, leading to a tragic situation. One day, my aunt (a nurse) and I witnessed a man having a seizure on the floor above us. She hurried up the stairs to assist and found him foaming at the mouth, drooling with an ammonia-smelling liquid. Turns out, a maid had mistakenly mixed unmarked cleaning products with the hotel's water bottles.
The bottles were unmarked and the caps had been slightly cracked, allowing the chemicals to mix inside. The man had unknowingly consumed the mixture, causing an ammonia headache and potential significant health risks. His wife was understandably shaken by the experience. This episode serves as a stark reminder of the importance of following safety protocols and proper hygiene practices.