Amongst the hygiene pitfalls one experiences while traveling it seems that there’s a new threat lurking in your hotel tea kettle.

It seems that some travelers use the tea kettle to boil their underwear, unleashing bacteria on the unsuspecting next guest that just wants a cup of tea.

The unusual cleaning method came out via social media, both via Twitter and Chinese Weibo.

While travelers may be looking to clean their undergarments, in reality, the practice is not at all effective. Not to mention, in scientific terms, "It is super super super super gross,"

Dr. Heather Hendrickson is a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biosciences at the Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at Massey University in Auckland.

While boiling kills bacteria, it does not kill all bacteria because some bacteria can withstand high temperatures. It is probably unlikely that the bacteria will make someone sick but there are other factors to consider about using water that has been sitting around. For example, some bacteria won’t make you sick but they do produce toxins that can be deadly.

And because you don’t actually know what ends up in your underwear, you’re pretty much just putting the health of future guests at risk, according to Dr. Hendrickson. Which is decidedly not cool. In fact, there are no real benefits to boiling your underwear at all. So don’t do it. It’s not a recognized cleaning technique for a reason.

If you are trying to use boiling water to clean your underwear, Dr. Hendrickson advises putting your undergarments in the sink first, then pouring boiling water over them. There is no benefit to actual boiling boxers, it’s just “irresponsible” and totally disrespectful to any future guests that might actually want to use the kettle for it’s most obvious intended purpose.

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