She believes it’s the most fly-gienic option.
An Argentine flight attendant “freaked out” travelers after revealing some shocking advice to anyone staying in a hotel — including the importance of keeping one’s toothbrush in the safe.
“We don’t take any chances with anything that goes in our mouth,” Barbiebac La Azafata, 32, declared in a video PSA for her 4.9 million followers, with whom she frequently shares advice on navigating the friendly skies, Jam Press reported.
In her latest video, the air hostess — who works for Spanish budget carrier Vueling — unveiled some basic safety and security precautions hotel guests should take before relaxing and unwinding.
There are few more qualified hotel tips than flight attendants, according to La Azafata, who insisted, “we’re not paranoid, we’re experienced.”
“While you’re unpacking your skincare, we’re scanning the room like it’s a crime scene,” she told Luxury Travel Daily. “It’s instinct – shaped by years of sleeping in unfamiliar places around the world, often alone, often as easy targets.”
Tip 1: Keep your toothbrush locked up because, contrary to popular belief, one’s toiletries kit is not the best place for the old incisor-scrubber.
“Many of us store our toothbrushes, medicines and hygiene products in the hotel safe,” declared the crewmember, who is from Argentina but lives in Spain. “We’re not just afraid of theft. We’ve heard horror stories of staff using guests’ toothbrushes for disgusting things.”
To wit, last April, a Las Vegas hotel guest had a brush with horror after housekeeping staff allegedly used his toothbrush to clean his room.
Another important step to ensure safety and security? Check the bathroom mirror to make sure that it’s not the “two-way” kind, “like the ones used in interrogation rooms,” La Azafata explained in a clip with 2.4 million views.
“We always do the fingertip test,” the Spaniard said while demonstrating the technique. “If there’s space between your finger and its reflection, it’s a regular mirror. If it touches directly, it could be a problem.”
Jam Press/@barbiebac.ok
And that’s not the only way to tell if a vanity is compromised.
“If you knock on it, and you see it’s very dense, that’s likely a two-way mirror,” cautioned a cybersecurity expert, Michael Balboni, in 2024.
Concealed cameras are also an issue — especially in cheaper accommodations.
One in four travelers found an illegal hidden cam in their vacation rental in 2023, according to a 2024 survey by property investment firm IPX1031.
To protect against peepers, “some crew even carry portable devices that detect hidden cameras or unknown signals,” La Azafata explained.
Other precautionary measures include checking everywhere from the curtains to the bed and alarm clocks for bed bugs and also reinforcing the door with portable locks or alarms when going to protect against intruders.
“Only then can we really rest,” said the flight attendant, who also warned travelers not to accept in-room freebies as you never know who’s touched them.
“Unless it’s sealed, we probably won’t touch it,” she declared. “Bathroom cups are often rinsed and not sterilized. Comforters and decorative pillows are rarely washed.”
La Azafata continued, “And wall dispensers with shampoo or soap could be refilled – or worse, contaminated. Towels and pillowcases are sometimes reused, and toilet paper might not have been changed.”
She warned to forget the kettle as well because some guests “boil noodles or sausages or wash their underwear or [hygiene products] in there.”
For this reason, many flight attendants carry their “own portable kettle, plus pillowcases and mini towels,” she said.
In general, when staying at a hotel, La Azafata said it’s always prudent to ask oneself, “What would a flight attendant do?”
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