Copyright WIS10
FARGO, N.D. (KVLY/Gray News) - Health officials in North Dakota say an investigation is underway at a hotel after an employee was seen soaking bed sheets in a hot tub. A family that was staying at the Expressway Suites on 17th Avenue South said they watched a worker dump sheets into the hot tub and mix them around with a broom. They recorded what they saw and shared their video on social media. “At first, I thought maybe the hot tub was down, the drain was broken, they were trying to soak up the water, but then he started adding more in there and I was like, what is going on?” hotel guest Alex Kenmille said. The family explained they were disgusted by what they saw. “That’s disgusting. Are you kidding? Are we sleeping on those sheets? I was really disgusted,” Kenmille added. With concerns of cleanliness, Kenmille and her family contacted hotel management for answers about the practice. In a recorded phone call with hotel staff, an employee said the sheets were not dirty and had been washed beforehand. The employee also said the sheets were put into the hot tub to remove stains. “The sheets are put into the hot tub, and it gets out tiny little stains, then the hot tub is drained. It is really heavily cleaned by a huge deep cleaner,” the employee can be heard saying in the conversation. Hotel management, who declined to go on camera, explained that this was a last-resort practice for stained sheets that are planning to be thrown out. They said this practice is typically done after pool hours, and the employee seen in the video was talked to about doing this in front of guests. When asked if this was a city-approved practice, the management stated they’re checking with the health department. Hot tubs are heavily chlorinated, but due to the high presence of bodily fluids, they can create a breeding ground for bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, germs can spread through hot tub water and cause respiratory, skin, or gastrointestinal illnesses. An official with the Environmental Health Division at Fargo Cass Public Health said it is looking into the situation. The hotel guests said they’ve also contacted the city health department and are looking to contact the state department next.
