Travellers are being advised to remove the bed runner from their hotel bed as soon as they check in, after a YouTuber warned the decorative fabric could be carrying dirt left behind by earlier guests.
The bed runner, a thick strip of coloured material laid across the foot of the bed, is a common feature in many hotel rooms. In a video on his YouTube channel, sblga, who has 61,000 subscribers, explained that the item is mainly used to make the room look more appealing, often by providing a bright contrast against white bedding. However, he suggested there was another reason for its presence.
Why the bed runner may be unhygienic
sblga said: "Think what you do when you walk into a hotel room. You throw your bag on the bed, you sit down to relax a little bit, still have your shoes on, and all of that happens at the bottom end. The runner is still there."
He added: "It takes dirt so the white colour doesn't. Okay, now think about that. Sheets get changed for every guest. The runner usually doesn't. A lot of hotels wash them now and then. That's why people who travel a lot take it off the bed first thing."
The suggestion is that, because the bed runner is laundered less frequently than the sheets, it is more prone to collecting grime and bacteria from the luggage and personal belongings of previous occupants.
Other warnings on hotel hygiene
sblga is not the only person to have raised concerns about bed runners. A housekeeping manager has also urged guests to remove them as soon as they enter the room.
Separately, inventor and entrepreneur Lori Greiner has advised against using three items in a hotel room. In a video posted on TikTok, the 56-year-old said: "Never, ever use these three things in a hotel room."
The items she recommended avoiding were the soap and shampoo, the hairdryer and the kettle. She said some guests had used kettles to clean their clothes, claiming: "This one is rough. Did you know some people have used the kettle to wash socks and small undergarments? So if you need hot water, call the front desk and ask for some."
Greiner also said the hairdryer should be avoided because some guests "touch it with unwashed hands" and it "rarely gets deep cleaned in between stays". Her concerns about soap and shampoo dispensers stemmed from her belief that bacteria inside them could be unsafe for the skin. She alleged: "Most of the time, they are just refilled - not cleaned out - which means bacteria can build up inside."
