The good news is that even if Legionella spreads through a hotel showerhead, it can be flushed out in mere minutes. For this reason, Legionella Control International advises all hotel guests to run their shower at the hottest possible temperature for five to 10 minutes. It’s also a good idea to leave the room and shut the door so that you don’t accidentally inhale any vapors containing bacteria.
While you’re at it, do the same with the tub faucet, the sink faucet, the kitchenette faucet, or any other source of running water in the hotel room that you can control. This decreases the risk that you’ll contract any harmful diseases when using the hotel room’s bathroom. It’s quick and simple to flush out these systems as soon as you start your stay.
Though Legionella test kits do exist, they’re rather expensive and impractical to use for each hotel stay. For most travelers, the best option is to let the water run for a few minutes as we described above.
