September 21, 2025 | 01:43 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - One of the amenities provided by hotels and accommodations is an electric kettle. This equipment certainly makes it convenient for guests to have hot water in their rooms. However, the use of kettles actually carries risks that are rarely realized.
Although most hotels clean their kettles, there is no guarantee that the cleaning process is thorough. Often, the equipment is only quickly rinsed between guests, or not cleaned at all.
Hygiene of Hotel Equipment
The issue of kettle cleanliness differs from items that are frequently touched, such as telephones or TV remotes. Kettles are often victims of misuse by hotel guests. As shared on Reddit's Life Pro Tips in 2020, kettles are used for cooking rice, warming small towels, and even washing underwear. This behavior is rarely noticed by hotel staff, so thorough cleaning is almost never done.
Every few years, horror stories about hotel kettles circulate on the internet, including in 2020 when a Reddit user used the Life Pro Tips subreddit to warn people about it. "For your personal hygiene, avoid using kettles in hotel rooms," they wrote, as cited from Travel+Leisure.
The story received a lot of responses, including from other users who had similar experiences. Another user recounted an experience staying at a two-star hotel on a business trip. After making coffee in the room, their companion revealed that the kettle in the same hotel was often used for washing underwear. Since then, they decided to no longer use hotel kettles.
More surprisingly, a former maintenance officer at a luxury hotel shared their experience. They recounted how their partner, who worked in housekeeping, found an extreme case: underwear with feces residue was placed in the kettle filled with boiling water. Similar stories reinforced the notion that hotel room equipment is often used for unimaginable things.
Nevertheless, there are practical suggestions shared by other users in the comment section. Such as bringing dish soap or washing machine detergent to clean the kettle before using it. This method is considered quite effective, although it still requires caution to avoid leaving harmful residue.
For those who really need to wash their underwear, there is another trick considered more hygienic. Boiling water from the kettle can be poured into a sink with a plugged drain, and then the clothes can be soaked. This way, the kettle is not used directly for washing.
However, the safest option is actually to avoid using hotel kettles altogether. The available laundry service may require additional costs, but it greatly ensures cleanliness. The same goes for morning coffee or tea, the hotel's caf or the nearest caf might be a healthier and worry-free alternative.
Essential Quick Checks
In addition to kettles, travel experts also emphasize the importance of conducting a quick check when entering a hotel room. According to Andrea Platania from Transfeero, many guests often immediately place their bags on the bed and rush out to enjoy their vacation, without realizing the potential hidden cleanliness issues.
Platania, who has spoken to hotel staff ranging from servers to housekeeping, revealed that there are many things that guests rarely realize. One of them is the habit of opening the kettle before using it. She emphasized that even though it looks clean, kettles are rarely thoroughly checked. Some guests have even been reported to have put foreign objects in it, ranging from socks to something far more disgusting.
"Believe me, hotel staff see more things than you can imagine," Platania said, as cited from Mirror. Therefore, taking two minutes to check the room before considering it important to avoid unwanted issues.
Kettles are not the only things to be suspicious of. Minibars can also hide dangers. Platania advises that guests always carefully check the bottle seals, and if there are signs of damage, it is best to avoid them.
Other threats can arise in unexpected places, such as the toilet. According to Platania, porcelain bowls and the bottom of chairs can be ideal hiding places for insects, especially in hot climates. This adds another reason why thorough room checks are an important step before enjoying the comfort of a hotel.
Kinar Laimaura contributed to this article.
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