KICK THE BUCKET
Why hotel ice machines and buckets could be making you sick
Hotels often aren't the cleanest of places – items like the TV remote and the bed throw are rarely cleaned between guests.
But now it turns out you might have to sacrifice chilled drinks if you want to stay fit and healthy.
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An investigation by public health inspectors in the US cities of St Paul and Minneapolis has found hotel ice machines and ice buckets can be rife with bacteria.
reviewed records of hotel inspections and found that ice machines at the Minneapolis Sheraton Midtown hotel had “pink slime build-up in the interiors of all ice machines inspected on site”.
The website reported: “Ice machines are on the inspection list because if not cleaned properly, bacteria can grow and make a guest sick.
“Bugs such as listeria can also contaminate the ice and cause flu-like symptoms, including diarrhoea.”
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The hotel said that there’s never been a complaint about a guest being sick from one of its ice machines.
However it may be best to skip that ice in your G&T– if it’s come from a machine.
Ice buckets turned out to be similarly dodgy when it came to sanitation at the hotels – as they’re not cleaned in between use.
It turns out there’s no official protocol that says they need to be, either.
The hotel inspectors advised putting a plastic bag into the bucket, if one is provided.
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These hotels are in America, but we contacted the UK Food Standards Agency to find out the protocol with cleaning ice buckets and ice makers over here.
They told us: "It is a food business's responsibility to make sure that the food they serve is safe and that they comply with food hygiene law at all times.
"Drinkable water should be used to make ice and food handlers must observe high levels of personal hygiene, including regular hand washing.
"Food businesses are expected to clean equipment that comes into contact with food, including equipment used for storing ice so that food and drink is not contaminated."
The ice bucket isn't the only hotel room item to handle with care.
You'll want to think twice before making yourself a hot beverage too.
Because it turns out that some guests like to use the kettles to clean their underwear.
One of the worst offenders is a place you’d least expect too – on the humble hairdryer.
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As Sun Online Travel previously reported, in most hotel rooms, the hairdryer has even more germs that the toilet seat.
One hotel manager has also revealed the air con machine is one part of the room that almost never gets cleaned properly.
If hotel staff fail to clean the filters, simply turning on the unit can cause these particles to fill your room and your lungs.
Sun Online Travel has contacted the the Minneapolis Sheraton Midtown hotel for a comment.