A hotel in the United States has become the centre of a major hygiene scandal after a worker was filmed cleaning bedsheets in a public hot tub. The incident, which has provoked widespread disgust online, occurred at the Expressway Suites hotel located at 4303 17th Ave S in Fargo, North Dakota.
Shocking Discovery by Hotel Guests
Horrified onlooker Alex Kenmille captured the footage while staying at the hotel. She reported seeing the employee throwing white bedsheets from a housekeeping cart into a hot tub that had been shut down. The scene unfolded just feet away from where children were swimming in the hotel's pool.
"Tell me why we let the kids go swimming and as we were getting ready to leave we saw this worker throwing sheets in the hot tub they had shut down," Kenmille wrote in a social media post. She expressed her shock, questioning, "Is that where they wash the laundry????" Initially, she thought the worker might be trying to soak up water from a broken drain, but her concern grew as he continued to add more bedding to the tub and stirred the contents with a stick.
Outrage and Hotel's Response
The video quickly ignited a firestorm of criticism online. Comments on the post ranged from disbelief to anger, with one user calling it a "whole s***show" and another simply writing "Omg!!!!!!"
Amy Vandal, another guest at the Expressway Suites, was similarly appalled. She challenged the hotel's claim that the city had approved this method, stating, "That's not right. I'm still in shock. Like, really? This is really what they do?" Vandal confirmed the hotel had offered her a reimbursement, but she emphasised she was not seeking compensation.
In response to the backlash, an unnamed hotel employee offered an explanation to Valley News Live, suggesting the sheets were being treated to remove "tiny, little stains" and that the drained hot tub was thoroughly cleaned afterwards. Hotel management confirmed the employee had been "talked to" about performing the cleaning in view of guests.
Health Inspection and Ongoing Concerns
The hotel stated it was checking with Fargo's health department to see if this unconventional cleaning procedure was permissible. A spokesperson for Fargo Cass Public Health confirmed to the Daily Mail that an inspection had taken place at the Expressway Suites on the Friday morning following the incident, though further details were not immediately available.
This event has raised serious questions about hotel hygiene standards and the protocols in place for cleaning linens. Guests like Kenmille were left asking the fundamental question: "Are we sleeping on those sheets?"
