microorganisms increased on many high- touch surfaces after the room was cleaned. The results from our environmental sam- pling identified recurring patterns through- out three areas in the rooms sampled ( n = 10), as well as some inconsistencies based on the microorganism detected and the sampling method (i.e., microbial counts versus ATP meter measurements). Guest Traffic Area Based on our results, high-touch surfaces that had the highest level of contamination in the guest traffic area were the tabletops, cof- fee makers, trash can rims, and carpet floors at the entry point of the room, specifically for APCs and S. aureus microbial counts. Of these surfaces, the entry carpet had the high- est log concentrations in the guest traffic area for both APCs and S. aureus microbial counts; notably, this surface had some of the lowest RLU readings according to the ATP meter data we collected. In terms of the data collected from the ATP meter, the tabletop had the high- est average RLU/cm 2 of all surfaces in the guest traffic area and the second-highest RLUs of all surfaces sampled in our study, with the toilet bowl having the highest average RLU/cm 2 . In contrast, the surfaces with the lowest level of microbial contamination and organic residue detected by the ATP meter in the guest traffic area included the bedroom door- knob, drapery pull handle, climate control panel, door safety latch, and bedroom light switch. All of these surfaces are consistent with messaging from leading hotel brands that lists the high-touch surfaces they have focused enhanced cleaning efforts on (Hilton, 2021; IHG, 2021; Marriott, 2021; Wyndham Hotels, 2021). Our findings suggest that although some high-touch surfaces in guest rooms receive adequate attention in terms of cleaning, lodg- ing operations need to focus on other high- touch surfaces found in hotel rooms that can serve as a reservoir for microbial contamina- tion, namely the room carpeting. Although our analysis showed that the carpet was deemed to be cleaner after the room was cleaned, there were visible stains at the entry point of the rooms and an approximate average of 2 log CFU/cm 2 for APCs and S. aureus microbial counts—a finding that was significantly higher than any other high-touch surface found in the guest traffic area after the room was cleaned.
Loo and Leung (2018) identified hotel room carpets as highly influential to guest satisfaction in that carpets serve as indicators of the physical environment’s cleanliness and speak to the perceived service quality of the hotel in terms of cleaning processes. As such, room carpets that are poorly maintained, have visible signs of filth, or emit unpleas- ant odors can have a negative effect on the perceived value (i.e., the money spent on the daily room rate) and overall satisfaction with the property by the guest. Moreover, research in clinical settings has examined the microbiological risks associ- ated with inadequately cleaned carpeting in patient rooms. In a study examining hospi- tal floors as a potential vehicle for pathogen transmission, Deshpande et al. (2020) found that patient rooms frequently were contami- nated with healthcare-associated pathogens, specifically Clostridium difficile , methicillin- resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin- resistant enterococci—and that these patho- gens were easily transferred from the floor to patients’ hands via contact with other fomites (e.g., cell phones, pillows, clothing) that have made contact with the floor. Further, Ander- son et al. (2011) found that higher microbial counts were detected on carpeted flooring than on tiled flooring and that many of the microorganisms detected on hospital room carpets (e.g., E. coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Klebsiella pneumoniae , S. aureus ) were present on the patients during their hospital stays. These findings are relevant to our study because, as carpet is a porous surface and difficult to clean, the microorganisms on floors can easily be transferred to guests and other high-touch surfaces in the guest room via contact with contaminated surfaces. In one instance while collecting samples after a room was clean, it was observed that a trash can had been placed on top of the table in the guest room, most likely to change the trash bag or to clean the carpet beneath the trash can. In either case, this observation serves as a prime example of how surfaces can be recontaminated through contact with other fomites in the room. Moreover, Zemke et al. (2015) performed an exploratory study to determine guest perceptions of hotel room cleanliness and found that the hotel room carpet was among the surfaces in the room that frequent travelers perceived a sig- nificantly higher risk of acquiring an illness
from. Therefore, the authors suggested that housekeeping practices and trainings con- sider the impact of the guest room carpet as a potential fomite and the importance of reduc- ing cross-contamination. Bedroom Area According to our results, nightstands and bedside clocks/phone docks had the highest levels of contamination before cleaning, fol- lowed by bedside lamp switches, pillowcases, and TV remote controls, respectively. After these surfaces were cleaned, they still main- tained an average log CFU/cm 2 above 1.0 for APCs and an approximate average of 1.0 log CFU/cm 2 , except for the nightstand handle. Additionally, all high-touch surfaces in this area increased in average coliform counts, with the TV remote control, nightstand top, and nightstand handle approaching 1.0 log CFU/cm 2 after cleaning. ATP meter results demonstrate similar findings in terms of the surfaces with the greatest amount of organic matter detected; however, they do not account for the increase in coliform counts after the room was cleaned. As all of these surfaces were located on the nightstand next to the bed, we suggest that surfaces near the guest need to receive additional attention from housekeeping staff during cleaning, as guests are more likely to interact with these surfaces during their time in the room. Further, trace amounts of food were observed on the nightstand, which could serve as an extrinsic factor that either provides protection from disinfectants through biofilm formation (Kuda, Iwase, et al., 2011; Kuda, Shibata, et al., 2015) or a source of nutrients that allow microorgan- isms to persist on these surfaces (Sun, 2011). In a study that examined the frequency of contact with high-touch and mutual-touch surfaces in patient rooms, Cheng et al. (2015) found that bed rails and bedside tables were the most-touched surfaces in patient rooms by healthcare workers, patients, and visitors. Moreover, research in the clinical setting has found that these and other surfaces near patient beds were commonly contaminated with MRSA and that environmental disin- fection efforts that have focused on areas near patient beds have shown a significant decrease in MRSA infections (Dancer et al., 2014). Further, Phan et al. (2019) found that the most-touched environmental surfaces in
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March 2025 • Journal of Environmental Health
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