It’s exceptionally important to practice good hygiene habits while traveling amidst a global pandemic. Just small hygiene habits can make a huge difference in keeping you fresh, and keeping vacation illness at bay. About time we all turn into Monica from F.R.I.E.N.D.S when traveling to curb the chances of the virus spreading further. But since there wasn’t an episode on that, we’ll break down the possible travel hygiene tips she’d maintain to stay squeaky clean.
Starting With The No-Brainers
Wash Your Hands At Frequent Intervals – This is a habit we probably picked up in school and is super basic but essential when traveling. So make sure you wash your hands for as long as it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’.
Trim Your Nails – When you have long fingernails, you’re automatically providing refuge to tons of bacteria and dirt. That’s something you want to avoid 100% of the time when traveling. With longer nails, there’s a chance of it chipping or breaking off too. This may not be a big injury to sustain, but it can quickly be an annoyance. That’s why it’s best to cut your toe and fingernails before leaving home.
Cover Your Nose And Mouth When You Cough Or Sneeze – For those of you who have been doing this even before it became a thing, we’re proud of you! This is the most basic way to prevent others around you from getting sick.
Drink H20 – Hydrating when traveling can solve a ton of problems for you. If you feel groggy or just bleh, it’s because your body is crying for water. This is something that can ruin those travel plans you have for the day, so hydrate! We also suggest you start your morning by drinking a glass of water to flush toxins out of your system.
7 Proactive Travel Hygiene Tips To Maintain
Disinfect Surfaces
Whether you’re backpacking in Himachal or river rafting in Leh, the new normal calls us to disinfect our surfaces from time to time. If you’re sitting for a meal at a restaurant, use disinfecting wipes to give the table a quick wipe. Even in a car, it’s best to wipe the handle before opening the door just as a safety precaution to ensure the germs aren’t traveling on your hand. In cases where you can’t disinfect, you can use your elbow. For instance, use your elbows to press a button in an elevator or push open a door instead of using your hands.
From all the surfaces that we come in contact with regularly, don’t forget to wipe your phone (on which you mindlessly scroll or chat with your fingertips that might carry germs!) Your mobile phone should ideally be disinfected very often since it also comes in contact with your face. To remain even more careful, you can consider using earphones if you’ve run out of wipes to disinfect your phone. These are tiny travel hygiene tips to take to protect yourself from getting exposed to bacteria in your surroundings.
Make A Hygiene Bag
Your hygiene bag is something that should be packed with everything that will help you remain squeaky clean on a vacation. You want to give this bag equal importance as the outfits you’re going to pack for the trip. Ideally, your go-to hygiene bag should have the following items in it –
- Travel Size Body Wash And Shampoo
- Handwash
- Hand Sanitizer
- Sunscreen
- Lip Balm
- Deodorant
- Moisturizer
- Toothbrush And Toothpaste
- Hairbrush
- Hand towel
- Mints
- Tissue Rolls
- Extra Face Masks
- Disinfecting Wipes Or Spray
- Essential Medications
- Band-aid, Bug-repellent And Pain Relief Spray
- Disposable Gloves
If you’re going on a long workation, you’d also want to carry your nail clippers and razor along with you. Besides a hygiene bag, also carry a waste bag in which you can dump used tissues, wipes and wrappers. That will keep the environment clean too. You know what they say, don’t be a fool because littering ain’t cool.
Important Tip – Carry sufficient masks and wear them like a pro! It should cover your mouth and nose at all times. Make sure it’s a snug fit; you can also consider double masking in crowded places.
BYOC (Bring Your Own Cutlery)
Bringing your own cup, spoon, fork, and reusable straw can do your bit for the environment and safeguard yourself from using cutlery that isn’t cleaned properly. If you use your own straw or cup, you know how clean it is because you’re the one that cleaned it. But the same can’t be said for spoons and forks that lie in the open air, collecting germs on them. Carrying your own cutlery can be one way to tackle this.
Did you know? In Medieval Europe, everyone would carry their own cutlery to a restaurant. There wasn’t an obligation for the host to provide cutlery but guests would bring their own. Isn’t that a great system that we should turn back to?
Besides cutlery, we also highly recommend that you carry your own reusable water bottle with you at all times when you travel. You can refill it at the hostel you’re accommodating from time to time. This prevents you from using glasses that someone may have not rinsed properly. Make sure you also clean your cutlery with hot water at the end of the day. At hostels and homestays, you can use the kitchen amenities, but if you’ve booked yourself in a chain hotel, you’d probably need to use the kettle for hot water.
Sort Out Your Clothing
When you travel, you have to pay heed to the type of clothes you’re carrying. Don’t prioritize carrying just Insta-worthy clothes that are uncomfortable but look picture-perfect. Instead, pack comfortable clothes that can be worn in several different ways and can be used at different types of events. It’s also very important that most of your outfits give you coverage from dirt and bugs. This is why long-sleeve tees and full-length pants should definitely be part of the clothes you pack! Quick-drying material and freedom of movement should be the criteria for the clothes you pack.
Always ask yourself 3 questions before you pack a piece of clothing in your bag –
- Will this item dry well after a quick rinse?
- Is it comfortable to wear?
- Is it versatile?
Once you pack, double-check that you’re carrying enough pairs of clothing for the trip. Also, check if your accommodation can provide laundry services to you. If not, carry a laundry bag that separates your dirty clothes from the clean ones. Spray some deodorant on your clothes in order for them to feel fresh even out of a suitcase.
Eat Healthy
Every time you go to grab a quick bite or a meal, think about what you should eat. Avoid eating undercooked meals or something that isn’t served piping hot. If you’re going with a group of friends, also take care that you all aren’t digging into the same bowl of food. When you share food, there are lots of germs and bacteria getting transferred across.
If you’re buying stuff like fruits to munch in your room or during your commute, don’t just take a bite into it, but rinse it before eating. When you’re commuting, you have to be even more careful of what you eat. Carry packed snacks like dry fruits, fresh fruit and sandwiches that you packed into lunch boxes from which you can eat on the go. Although sharing is caring, we’d like to encourage you to avoid sharing food while traveling because of the pandemic.
Be Cautious When Using A Shared Restroom
You want to have a ninja’s skills when it comes to using a shared restroom. In other words, be quick! A common mistake that people make is taking their mobile phones with them. Instead, we highly suggest you keep your phone in your bag and avoid touching it at all till you’re out of the restroom area. Also, make sure you’re keeping your mask on even when going towards the restroom since you could bump into people.
To open the door, use your elbow or your non-dominant hand if you have to use the knob. Use clean toilet paper to flush. After you’re out, wash your hands thoroughly to get rid of any germs that you may have contacted.
Take A Shower
A quality shower after a long day of sightseeing can freshen you up and get rid of the grime, sweat, bacteria clinging to your skin and hair. Make sure you’re also cleaning your feet thoroughly when you shower as it could collect the most germs (if you weren’t wearing a closed pair like sneakers).
If you’re using a shared bathroom, enter with your anti-slip bathroom slippers on because that’s way more hygienic than going barefoot. It would also give you a good grip and prevent you from breakdancing in the shower.
Conclusion
These travel hygiene tips will definitely help you stay hygienic and safely enjoy your travels. But it takes two hands to clap! And that’s why we’ve introduced goSTOPS 2.0 to ensure that anyone that steps into our hostel feels comfortable with the hygiene standards maintained. Luggage disinfection, daily temperature checks, contactless check-in, and regular fumigation of rooms are a few of the hygiene practices we take to create a safe environment for you and our goSTOPS family!
FAQs
How Do You Maintain Hygiene When Traveling?
When traveling, you have to do everything it takes in your power to avoid catching a virus or bug. Washing your hands frequently, showering daily, staying away from huge crowds and using disinfecting wipes often are basic hygiene measures to take when traveling.
What Are 3 Ways To Practice Good Hygiene?
Give priority to washing your hands whenever possible, bathing every day and keeping your nails short. These are 3 good hygiene practices to never compromise on.
What Is Travel Hygiene?
Travel hygiene is about reducing your exposure to germs and bacteria when you travel. Frequently washing your hands after you touch doorknobs, wearing a face mask and trying to steer away from extremely crowded places are ways you can travel safely.
What Products Do You Need For Good Hygiene?
Mouthwash, sunscreen, handwash, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are products to carry to maintain good hygiene.
