For most people, staying in a hotel is a little slice of luxury; there are fresh towels and food on command, and the knowledge that the shower is not your responsibility to scrub clean at the end of your stay.
While most people trust the team of cleaners working tirelessly to maintain a spick-and-span, spotless space, not everyone is so unquestioning. Taking to TikTok, a hotelier has dished the dirt on her dos and don'ts after checking in, revealing what she would steer clear of while staying in accommodation.
The hotelier, who goes by the username @queenevangeline25 on the video-sharing platform, outlined her seven top tips in a clip that has since been viewed more than 725,000 times.
Firstly, Evangeline warned travellers to always clean the remotes with disinfecting wipes upon arrival, noting that your definition of 'clean' isn't necessarily the same as others.
"I would never use the remote control without wiping it down first with my own disinfecting wipes. Your cleaning and my cleaning are different, you feel me?" she said.
Secondly, Evangeline urged guests to never drink out of the provided glasses without washing them first, suggesting the glassware and utensils may have not been sufficiently sanitised after the last guests' stay.
"I would never use the glasses in the room; I'm talking about the glasses in the room ready for you to use. I would never use them without washing them first."
Next, Evangeline admitted she would never make herself comfortable on the bedspread, claiming that unlike the fitted sheet or top sheet, the decorative cover is rarely washed.
"I would never sit on the bedspread," she declared. "A bedspread is not the sheet, it's on top of that. That thing comes off the first minute I walk into the hotel.
"Those things are not washed often... those bedspreads get cleaned maybe once a year, so don't sit on those."
In fourth place, Evangeline argued that guests should always consider opting for flip-flops (or jandals) when roving around the room - as well as in the shower.
The hotelier revealed she wouldn't step foot in the shower without a pair of slip-on shoes, and would never walk around a carpeted room with bare feet.
"I would never walk around a carpeted hotel or motel room with my bare feet," she said. "I would always have a pair of flip flops on. I would also not take a shower without wearing them."
Additionally, Evangeline suggested putting a liner in the provided ice bucket prior to use for extra protection.
"Some people just use the ice bucket as is without the liner - no don't do that, put the liner in."
The sixth, somewhat surprising 'don't' on Evangeline's list was avoiding the provided washcloths in the bathroom where possible, suggesting not all of the flannels are washed if they haven't been obviously used by the previous guests.
"This is something nobody actually mentions but it's big for me, I will never use a hotel washcloth on my body or my face," she said.
"I will use a towel but I will not use a washcloth… Having that many people coming into close contact with their body parts with a washcloth and putting it on me... no, I'm good.
She added: "Just to clarify, when I say I use a body towel, I will use the body towel very, very gingerly."
And last but not least, Evangeline said she will never say her room number "out loud" at the front desk as a safety precaution, especially if she's travelling solo.
"If you notice, the front desk agent will write your room number on a piece of paper, they'll circle it and direct you to the elevators, they don't say your room number out loud," she said.
"At least they're not supposed to, and you shouldn't either."
A "hotelier looking to advise", Evangeline has amassed a following on the platform for her informative content, with other hoteliers, hotel workers or housekeepers frequently agreeing with her tips and tricks.
A number of viewers have seconded Evangeline's advice in the popular clip, with a former housekeeper "for many high-end hotels" agreeing that the top comforters "never get washed unless there's an obvious stain".
"I worked in a hotel and one of my first [don'ts] would be I would never use the coffee machine or use the cups they keep in the room [sic]," a second shared.
"I wouldn't even use the bucket for ice... people throw up in them," a third pointed out, referring to guests who like to get sauced on staycation - or maybe enjoy making use of the minibar.
Another added: "I honestly stuck my swollen foot in the ice bucket in a hotel in Hawaii without a liner, so think of that."
"I keep telling people this; do not walk barefoot on hotel room floors, no matter how classy the hotel is," another reiterated.
"I'm a housekeeper and I know how rooms are cleaned, so I bring my own stuff and bedding when I stay in a hotel," a second former cleaner revealed.
Earlier this year, a woman shared the extreme measures she takes when checking in at hotels, revealing her top tips to stay safe when staying in accommodation solo.
