New germ-free remote for hotel guests
When you check into a hotel room, what is the one item that you will almost inevitably touch?
Yes, that’s right – the TV remote control. Whether you want to catch up on the news, watch a film, check for messages or order an alarm call you will need to pick up that remote.
But when you start to think about the numbers of previous guests who have handled that same item – many of whom may have been suffering from colds, flu or diarrhoea – you may become a little squeamish. And since it is not easy to thoroughly clean a remote control they can quickly become a hotbed for germs.
In fact environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona Charles Gerba describes the hotel remote as often “the most germy object in the room” because it tends not to be frequently cleaned by staff.
A US satellite television service has decided to address this by launching what it believes to be the first anti-microbial remote control unit. The germ-resistant coating is claimed to be up to 99.99 per cent effective at protecting users from harmful organisms such as bacteria, mould and fungi.
The remote forms part of an enhanced TV package for hotel guests in the US. The package, being offered by DirecTV, also includes more than 100 HD channels plus an enhanced interactive programme guide.
Vice-president of DirecTV’s commercial sales Rod Keller said: "With approximately 20 per cent of hotels currently offering HD to their guests, we expect this new service to significantly expand the HD offering in this market - with the added benefit of a sanitised remote."
previous
...
61
62
63
64
...
next