15 Tips for Better Hygiene During Medical Travel Abroad

buoozturk
1 day ago
6 min read

When you are traveling for a treatment abroad, washing your hands frequently with soap, using bottled water for dental care, packing a personal supply of sterile medical wipes, and avoiding touching high-contact surfaces in transit can help you stay hygienic.

Maintaining a clean environment around you will prevent secondary infections and help your body focus on healing after a procedure.

Staying clean while traveling for surgery or treatment is different than a standard vacation. Your immune system could face extra stress from travel and medical interventions during medical travel.

Let’s explore the useful tips that can make a difference in your hygiene throughout your trip.

1. Bring your own recovery kit

You can pack your own hygiene bag including:

travel-sized bottles of unscented antibacterial soap,
alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol,
disinfectant wipes.

Hospitals also provide basic supplies, but having brands you trust helps avoid skin irritation.

You might also include a small pack of disposable face masks for crowded airports or waiting rooms.

By bringing your own supplies, you do not need to rely on the quality of products provided by hotels or transit hubs.

2. Use bottled water

Water quality changes among different countries. Even if the local tap water is safe for residents, your digestive system might not be used to the local microbes.

You should use bottled water not just for drinking, but also for brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth.

By avoiding tap water, you can reduce the risk of stomach upsets that could complicate your recovery or weaken your immune system before an operation.

You should also be careful with ice cubes in drinks, as these are made from tap water.

3. Sanitize your close surroundings

Airplanes, buses, and trains are hubs for germs. When you board a plane, you can use disinfectant wipes to clean the tray table, armrests, and seatbelt buckle. These surfaces see hundreds of hands daily and are rarely deep-cleaned between flights.

The pocket in the back of the seat of a plane is also a known spot for bacteria.

Keeping your immediate seating area clean lowers the chance of picking up a cold or skin infection before you reach the clinic.

4. Wash your hands for at least 20-seconds

Hand washing is the most effective way to stop the spread of germs. You should wet your hands with clean water, apply soap, and scrub for a minimum 20 seconds.

Make sure to clean the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. You should do this after using the restroom, before eating, and every time you return to your hotel room or hospital ward.

If you are in a public restroom, you can use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door to keep your hands clean.

5. Avoid touching your face

Germs often enter the body through the eyes, nose, and mouth. During transit, you likely touch many public surfaces such as railings, elevator buttons, and kiosks.

You should try to keep your hands away from your face until you have had a chance to wash them well. This simple habit is a barrier against respiratory infections.

If you have an itch, you can use a clean tissue instead of your fingers.

6. Choose your food carefully

Food safety is a major part of hygiene. You should opt for food that is served steaming hot, if you want to try local food. Heat kills most bacteria that cause food poisoning.

You should avoid raw vegetables or salads that might have been washed in local tap water.

Peeling your own fruit is also a safer way to enjoy fresh produce.

Street food can be tempting, but choosing established restaurants with visible cleaning protocols is safer for a medical traveler.

7. Manage your laundry

Washing your clothes regularly helps keep bacteria away.

If you are staying for an extended period, you can find a reliable laundry service or use a travel-sized detergent to wash undergarments in your sink.

You should avoid wearing the same clothes for several days in a row, especially if you have bandages or surgical sites that need to stay clean and dry.

You can keep dirty laundry in a separate bag away from your clean items to prevent cross-contamination.

8. Use a barrier on public seating

If you have a weakened immune system or recent incisions, you might want to be extra careful on public furniture.

You can carry a lightweight, washable scarf or a disposable sheet to place over chairs in waiting areas. This provides a clean layer between your body and surfaces that many other people use.

In hotel rooms, you might choose to sit on a towel rather than the upholstery of a chair or sofa, as these items are harder to sanitize than hard surfaces.

9. Keep your medical documents clean

During your travel abroad, you will likely handle your passport, medical records, and prescriptions many times. These items can pick up germs as they pass through different hands.

You can keep these documents in a plastic, wipeable folder. You can occasionally wipe down the outside of the folder to keep your bag’s interior sanitary.

Digital copies of your documents on your phone can also reduce the need to pull out physical papers in crowded areas.

10. Have a shower before and after your clinic visits

If you take a shower before you head to the clinic, this will help remove surface bacteria from your skin.

After you return from a medical facility, you should change your clothes and shower again. Hospitals are professional environments, but they are also places where many sick people gather.

Removing the outside germs when you get back to your room helps maintain a sterile recovery space. You should pay close attention to cleaning your feet and hands after walking through hospital hallways.

11. Protect your surgical site

If your treatment involves surgery, your doctor will give you specific instructions on wound care. You should follow these instructions, which usually mean keeping the area dry and not touching the bandages with unwashed hands.

If you need to change your dressing, you should do it in a clean, well-lit area after you have sanitized your hands and the surrounding surface.

You should also watch for any redness or unusual discharge and report it to your medical team immediately.

12. Bring your own pillowcase

You can bring a silk or high-thread-count pillowcase from home to have both comfort and cleanliness.

By using your own pillowcase, you can make sure the fabric touching your face or head-incisions is clean and free of industrial detergents that some hotels or clinics might use.

13. Disinfect your electronic devices

Your smartphone could be one of the dirtiest objects you carry. You likely use it in transit, in waiting rooms, and even while eating.

You can use electronic-safe disinfectant wipes to clean your phone and tablet minimum twice a day.

As you hold your phone close to your face, keeping your phone clean is just as important as washing your hands.

14. Be mindful of bathroom hygiene

Public restrooms and hotel bathrooms require extra care for hygiene. You should avoid placing your bag or personal items on the floor.

When flushing the toilet, you should close the lid first to prevent germs from spreading through the air.

If you are staying in a recovery hotel, you might want to wipe down the toilet seat and faucet handles with your own disinfectant wipes when you first arrive.

15. Manage the air quality in your room

Indoor air can hold allergens or pathogens. If your window opens, you might want to let in fresh air for a few minutes each day as long as the outside air is clean.

In some cities, using a portable HEPA air purifier in your room can help remove dust and microbes. Air purifier is helpful if you are recovering from a respiratory procedure or if you have known allergies that could cause sneezing and strain your surgical stitches.

Why hygiene is more important for medical travellers

Good hygiene could reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

When you travel to a new environment, your body faces unfamiliar bacteria. These foreign microbes could cause stronger reactions than the ones you have at home.

If you stay disciplined with your cleaning habits, you allow your immune system to focus entirely on healing from your medical procedure. This leads to shorter recovery times, less inflammation, and better overall results.

FAQs

Is it safe to use hotel towels after surgery?

Most high-end hotels use high-heat washing cycles, but if you have an open wound, you might prefer using disposable paper towels or your own clean towels brought from home to ensure total sterility.

Should I use hand sanitizer or soap?

Soap and water are better because they physically remove dirt and a wider range of germs. You should use sanitizer as a backup when a sink is not available.

How do I keep my phone clean?

Phones are very dirty. You should use a disinfectant wipe on your phone screen at least twice a day, especially after you have been in public spaces or medical offices.

What should I do if the tap water smells strange?

If the water has a strong odor, you should avoid using it for any hygiene purposes, including showering if you have open wounds. You can use bottled water to sponge bathe if necessary.