Tips to make your hotel room healthier

London: After travelling for hours, people look forward to settle down in their hotel rooms, away from dirty transport and several air-borne diseases.

However, not many are aware that the sigh of relief is far from being true.

Hotel rooms are often filled with viral diseases and infections. In order to beat them, here are some tips to create a healthier environment in your hotel room.

- Raid the bed bugs

Stripping down your bed of its linen and checking for bugs might do the trick. Travel and Leisure also suggests examining the upholstered furniture, curtains, and headboard for the little termites.

- Ditch the bedspread

Just because bedspreads can be laundered does not mean they often are. Reneta McCarthy, a former housekeeping manager for a major American hotel chain, told CNN that hotels may not switch out the duvets when they are providing fresh top sheets. Your best bet is to play it safe and store the comforter or duvet in the closet

- Disinfecting commonly used items

Carrying antibacterial wipes in your luggage can be your best bet. You can use them to disinfect most commonly used items such as door handles, light switches, toilet flushes, telephones, television remote, faucets, bedside tables and such.

- Opening the window

Sometimes, hotel rooms are full of still air which is often full of air-borne bacteria - due to lack of proper ventilation and air circulation. Opening the window improves circulation and invites fresh air.

Also, opening a window can help you adjust to the local time zone.

- Avoid using in-room glassware

Try and use plastic wrapped cups or opt bottled water, if available. There are many times when proper cleaning and sanitisation of used glasses is not ensured in hotels.