Items You Can (And Can't) Legitimately Swipe From A Hotel Room

The average hotel room is filthier than a typical home, school or even a plane, according to a study. Some tested surfaces in 5-star hotels had a much higher CFU count than 3- and 4 -star lodges. The worst offenders, maybe with the exception of the phone, are used very often. Still, this doesn't stop many guests from taking what they want. Where is the line between theft and taking what you feel you've paid for?

Slippers are items that are not meant for the next guest, so you can keep them. Hotels usually supply two pairs in each room. Unless there is a stated charge or policy for these items, which is very rare, you can take them with you.

Toiletries are yours to keep. Many people are seemingly obsessed with hotel shampoos and soaps, and some even collect them. Feel free to take them with you, even if you are not passionate about them, so you can donate them or give them to a homeless person, for example.

Only expensive hotels and luxurious spas usually offer these items to guests. However, this is rare. For the most part, you can buy them. Don't take them from your room or you may expect a charge on your credit card later. It won't be cheap.

You may be tempted to steal the batteries from the remote control of the TV in your room, and chances are that no one will notice. In fact, batteries and light bulbs are some of the most commonly taken everyday objects from hotels, according to a survey by MailOnline Travel.

These are tricky items that you should probably try not to steal from hotel rooms. They are meant to be reused, so taking them home with you is certainly not allowed. Some hotels have even gone as far as having electronic tracking devices sewn in, according to news reports.

You can take the coffee and tea bags but not the makers. Why would you even want it in the first place? You never know how often it gets cleaned. In general, the dirtiest things in a hotel room are the bathroom counter, remote control, desk, and phone.

You are not allowed to take appliances home with you. Still, many people do. In fact, thousands of them are stolen every year, according to MailOnline Survey. You risk having your card debited. The same applies for irons, remote controls and any artwork on the walls.

Many hotels don't mind giving coffee mugs as gifts to customers due to the potential advertising value of this free promotion. Managers expect that these items will be taken. Chances are that if you ask for a coffee mug the staff will simply give it to you.

These are not very, very high on the hotel management's priority list, but there is a good chance the staff will ask for them. So don't "swipe" them. Hotels, especially smaller ones, don't have unlimited storage space and can't keep thousands of laundry bags just in case they run out of them.

Razors are yours to take. This is a personalized item that no one expects you to leave for someone else to use. The disposable razors, if offered, are always complementary. They can come in handy if you didn't bring your own electric razor and need to shave for a date.

Many hotels have magazines as well as local and national newspapers delivered to your room every morning. They are totally free of charge and can also be very useful. You can find about events in the area, bars and restaurants, and live shows. They could also have coupons you can use to save some money.

If you can use them, take them. They usually have the hotel's logo, so in a way you're advertising the hotel for free, and they appreciate it. If you are a person who takes a lot of notes and needs scratch paper, you can save a lot of money by not buying the overly expensive notebooks at Staples.

Hotels usually have you covered on rainy days. Many provide umbrellas for their guests. Ideally, you will return them, but that rarely happens. People decide to keep them for future storms. Hotels usually don't charge an extra fee for such missing items, and consider them guest amenities.

This item is not offered to guests. But why would you want it anyway? Who knows when was the last time it was replaced. Most plastic curtains are mildew magnets. People with mold or mildew allergies will probably need to replace them even more often.

Believe it or not, people steal coat hangers from hotel rooms. But they shouldn't. Hotels don't usually have more than a few coat hangers in rooms in case a guest decides to take one or all of them home.