woman hold the remote and watch tv on the bed

The cleanliness of hotel rooms — and the guests’ perception of that cleanliness – is crucial to the hospitality industry. Most travelers know (and studies have confirmed) that the TV remote control is one of the dirtiest things in a hotel room — Everyone touches it, but nobody really thinks to clean it.

This is why Hilton has developed a solution that involves getting rid of remotes once and for all.

According to the Conde Nast Traveler, Hilton has put TV controls directly on to guests’ phone with the Hilton Honors app. Guests will be able to choose channels—as well as control room lighting and temperature settings, and even raise and lower the blinds—right from the app in the handful of hotels that have Hilton’s “Connected Room” technology.

Cleaning the TV remote is just one of the challenges in hospitality hygiene. Busy travel seasons usually mean high guest turnover for hotels and other hospitality settings. More guests should mean more cleanings.

A few quick tips housekeeping professionals can incorporate into their cleaning process in between deep room cleanings: include:

• Focusing on high-touch surfaces. Objects and surfaces that are frequently touched — such as doorknobs, light switches, nightstands, phones, remotes and bathroom countertops _ need to be disinfected at least once a day.

• Remembering soft surfaces.  Curtains, bedspreads, upholstered furniture and pillows may only get a good washing every now and then. In between, they can be refreshed and sanitized before each new guest with a product that kills illness-causing bacteria in as little as 30 seconds.