Undercover Investigation: Dirty Hotel Drinking Glasses

An ABC15 investigation uncovered hotel drinking glasses that were so dirty they could pose a serious risk to your health.

Arizona health code requires that hotel drinking glasses be "cleaned and sanitized," using a dishwasher or three-compartment sink. Three of the four hotels ABC15 tested failed: not replacing dirty glasses with clean ones, and using only a towel or sponge to wipe them clean before putting them back out for the next guest.

State health officials are already reacting to the investigation's results.

"It's just plain gross," says Will Humble from the Arizona Health Department. Humble called the incident a clear violation of Arizona's health code, explaining that the dirty glasses can transfer viruses or even influenza from guest to guest. None of the hotels tested have been cited.

In a joint investigation with sister stations across the country, ABC15 found that the Arizona incident is not an isolated problem.

From Kansas City to Cincinnati to Baltimore, 11 of 15 hotels tested did not take dirty glasses out of the room for cleaning and sanitizing.

At one Kansas City Holiday Inn, a hotel worker wiped her hands with the same towel she used to dry the dirty glasses.

The Holiday Inn says it "set stringent quality standards." They put out a statement saying "as we work to ensure 100 percent execution of these standards, we have changed to the use of prewrapped plastic cups exclusively."

At the Millennium Hotel in Cincinnati, the investigation found a housekeeper who used a spray bottle to douse the dirty glasses and coffee pot in the sink with a bottle of Lysol mildew remover.

Though the video does not prove there was actually mildew remover in the bottle, if it was Lysol, the label clearly states "harmful if swallowed."

At the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, the investigation found that instead of replacing dirty glasses, housekeepers rinsed and dried with a rag. An undercover camera caught staff doing this not just once but both times the investigators stayed at the Embassy Suites.

The Embassy Suites responded by saying, "glassware must be replaced daily and sanitized...we are re-emphasizing this training."