We made a quick stay at the Kansas City Airport Marriott hotel last Friday night before an early morning flight out of the country.
One of the little things that I love about Marriott hotels is the chain’s Thann orange and tangerine hand wash, which has a clean, citrus smell. With a late night check-in, and early morning departure, we had hardly put a dent in this tube of hand wash.
I was reminded of our #1 rule for staying healthy while traveling, so I added the slightly used tube of hand wash to my quart-sized liquids bags, to encourage myself to wash my hands frequently during the upcoming day of travel.
To Stay Healthy When Traveling, Wash Your Hands With Soap Frequently
We are not compelled-to-clean-excessively germaphobes.
Yet, our years have travel have taught us that there is one key to staying healthy when traveling, and it is quite simple.
Wash your hands.
With soap, and warm water.
Frequently.
After using the bathroom.
Before eating.
After holding on to handles or bars in public transportation such as buses, subways or trains.
When in mid-flight, after touching all of the buttons and tray tables, but before eating the warm nuts.
After using the hotel phone or remote control. (Pre-Moistened Sanitizing Hand Wipes are good for wiping these down.)
After using the public computer in a hotel or other public location that has been used by a number of other travelers.
After shaking hands with a number of people.
After touching surfaces such as door handles, railings and elevator buttons in hotels, airports or on cruise ships.
Cruise ships are often thought of as a place with a high potential to get sick, but the reality is that the historic rates of Gastrointestinal Illness aboard cruise ships are very low with the vast majority of outbreaks occur in land-based settings according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC reports there are up to 20 million norovirus cases in a typical year in the United States, but most of them are not on cruise ships.
Americans have a 1 in 15 chance of getting norovirus on land each year, compared to a 1 in 12,000 chance on a cruise.
Still, perhaps because the cruise lines are pros at providing hand sanitizers to passengers during their cruise, we have gotten in the habit of washing our hands frequently when we travel. If we can’t get to soap and water, we carry hand santizer or pre-moistened hand wipes.
Invariably, when you travel you are exposed to a number of people, some of which may have a cold, the flu, or some other illness.
Washing our hands frequently has generally kept us from getting sick on the road.
What is your # 1 strategy for staying healthy when you travel? Please share in comments below.
Other travel tips you might want to check out:
Flying Internationally from the U.S. with Diabetic Medications and Supplies
3 Tips to Avoid Forgetting Something When You Travel
The # 1 Most Frequent Photos in a Road Warrior’s Photo Stream
Making a Trip Planning File for Your Next Vacation
How to Get Your Preferred Dining Seating on a Cruise
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