Cleaning=Self-Cleaning your Hotel Room or Villa

[LuluLovesDisney]

There WAS a study like that! I read abt it in a magazine around December(?).

The study suggested that if you live in a very clean environment and are rarely exposed to germs and bacteria your immune system never builds up protection to the illness. If you are exposed to small amounts of germs and bacteria your body usually builds a natural immunity to stuff like that.

Example- you get flu shots, etc. which work by giving you a small amount of the virus you don't want to get! It sounds counterintuitive but it works. It is designed so that your body will automatically attack the virus and therefore build immunity to future exposure of that particular illness. Same thing with superclean environment vs. average clean. It's good to get small amounts of certain germs as long as you have a healthy immune system and no preexisting conditions. So, I don't really worry about germs as much. So, those who don't clean/disinfect, there's a positive!

However, I do bring hand sanitizer and wipes because if you EAT germs like e coli, etc. you can get VERY sick. I make sure I wash well after using bathrooms and always before eating. That's a must! I am also paranoid about all the reports of "bodily fluids" in various places around the room. That is the one thing that I try not to think about. It grosses me out so much. I *do* wipe down the toilet, phone and remote control. I also bring my own pillowcase even though I put it on their pillow it makes me feel better.

Another thing about hand sanitizer/anti-bac soap: check your ingredients. alcohol is an effective germ killer, but triclosan is even more effective. Too effective for some people. If you have a low thyroid or even a borderline thyroid condition (like me), never use anything containing triclosan. It permeates the skin and can interfere with T3, lowering it even more! Use brands that only use alcohol if you're worried.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

I have to admit, I do bring lysol and disinfecting wipes to wipe down surfaces that are known to be dirty in rooms such as doorknobs, remote control, phone etc. I just like a quick wipe down or spray before we get settled in. Just makes me feel more comfortable.

 

[hppy2bhome]

I never used to but since my youngest in is remission with Leukemia I do clean before we unpack. We don't want her to come down with a cold or fever while we are away from home..

Lysol addict
Hppy2bhome

 

[Zandy595]

I don't, but my MIL does. She sprays everything with Lysol. I guess it's not a bad idea. I do however carry hand sanitizer pretty much everywhere I go now. MIL got me started on that.

 

[slk537]

I like to straighten up as the vacation goes on, as we usually vacation on our DVC points and only have trash/towel and one day of cleaning. I just like coming home to a made bed, dishes in the dishwasher, vaccumned floors, etc. This upcoming trip (Sept) we'll be in the hotel, so I'm looking forward to not having to do that every day.

But I'll admit - I don't lysol things down. We have allergies and I could go nutso preventing those (dust, etc), but as far as being susceptible to germs? Thank goodness, no. DS had his share of childhood colds, etc. his first year (in Daycare, of course) and since then hasn't had much more than the occasional bug we all get.

Not in any way, shape or form to trash or flame the OP or people who do wipe things down for germs (because I've never thought of it, but it certainly does make sense!!!) I wanted to share a story of germphobia excess with you all: One of my dear friend's husbands is so germ phobic he won't kiss his children anywhere but on their cheeks (and not often) and if one of his kids cuts a bar or brownie from a pan, he insists my friend cut the whole row off so he won't have to eat anything they touched. (Incidentally these kids were really healthy until they started kindergarten and then one of them had strep throat and colds on and off for about 18 months...hmmmmmmm).

Yikes!

Again - that is way beyond Lysoling against stranger germs!

 

[Poohbear123]

Not me - guess I like to live dangerously

Me too!

 

[Disney Debbie]

There WAS a study like that! I read abt it in a magazine around December(?).

The study suggested that if you live in a very clean environment and are rarely exposed to germs and bacteria your immune system never builds up protection to the illness. If you are exposed to small amounts of germs and bacteria your body usually builds a natural immunity to stuff like that.

I've read this as well and completely believe it - but before that study was released I heard George Carlin do a great routine saying pretty much the same thing! That he swam in the East River as a kid - and so germs were afraid to mess with his immune system!

 

[C.Ann]

There WAS a study like that! I read abt it in a magazine around December(?).

The study suggested that if you live in a very clean environment and are rarely exposed to germs and bacteria your immune system never builds up protection to the illness. If you are exposed to small amounts of germs and bacteria your body usually builds a natural immunity to stuff like that.

Example- you get flu shots, etc. which work by giving you a small amount of the virus you don't want to get! It sounds counterintuitive but it works. It is designed so that your body will automatically attack the virus and therefore build immunity to future exposure of that particular illness. Same thing with superclean environment vs. average clean. It's good to get small amounts of certain germs as long as you have a healthy immune system and no preexisting conditions. So, I don't really worry about germs as much. So, those who don't clean/disinfect, there's a positive! :

-----------------------

They also believe that this is the cause of so many children and adults developing life-threatening allergies..

So, no - I don't clean anything while on vacation unless I can clearly see dirt on it..

 

[DawnCt1]

Nope. You walk around outside, sit in chairs others have sat in, touch doors others have touched, and on and on and on......you're already pretty contaminated just from living and breathing.

Exactly, think of how many people hold onto that bar on Splash Mountain before the big drop!

 

[SonyaD]

I don't disinfect everything but I do pull the comforter and blankets off the beds and use my own. I also leave a note for the made to please leave them folded in the closet until we leave and just replace the sheets. UGGGH those blankets are washed only a few times a year!!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Nope, not me; but I'm hoping you're the previous occupant of our resort rooms. Don't tell my mil, but our hotel rooms are WAAAAYYYY cleaner than our house!!!!

 

[scoutsmom99]

I have to admit, I do bring lysol and disinfecting wipes to wipe down surfaces that are known to be dirty in rooms such as doorknobs, remote control, phone etc. I just like a quick wipe down or spray before we get settled in. Just makes me feel more comfortable.

me too! And it only takes about 5 minutes.

 

[Amirah95]

The handle bars on Splash Mountain is not a toilet seat.

 

[Marseeya]

I don't disinfect everything but I do pull the comforter and blankets off the beds and use my own. I also leave a note for the made to please leave them folded in the closet until we leave and just replace the sheets. UGGGH those blankets are washed only a few times a year!!

I'm not sure that's true about the comforters! During our stay at AKL (9 nights) the comforter was changed twice with the rest of the bedding. I saw tons of clean, folded comforters on the mousekeeping carts in the hallways as well.

We took Lysol to spray the room down with, but I never did get around to doing it How lame am I?

 

[cristbaby]

We like living life on the wild side!

 

[Disney Debbie]

I'd be willing to bet that the handles on any of the rides have more germs then the avg. toilet seat in a resort! Whenever you see those segments on the morning shows about germs it's always the telephone keypads and the light switches that are germier then the toilet seats - because no one thinks about them!

I also read an article where they tested a Motel 6 type motel, a Holiday Inn type and a Hilton type (don't remember the exact "brand" names) - and they were in reverse order on the cleanliness scale. The Motel 6 type had the cleanest room and the Hilton type had the worst!

 

[threeboysmom]

Nope, don't wipe down anything while on vacation!! And I *try* not to think too hard about the germs and the unwashed comforter/blanket.... We do, however, wash our hands more often while on vacation, and I think that's the key. As long as you are washing your hands often and/or using Purell hand sanitizer, there really is no need to disinfect everything in sight.

 

[welovedis]

i probably wouldn't even think of germs if it weren't for my dd who gets sick fairly easily and gets VERY sick and has seizures when that happens.

Just an FYI, if a guest has specific medical needs that call for a room to be cleaned beyond the normal housekeeping routine, you can request it from Special Requests/Needs when making a reservation. We have to go thru them anyway because my DH is deaf and needs a TTY kit. However, DS has horrible allergies and I mentioned this one time when speaking with the CM about the other issue, she offered to have the room cleaned thoroughly (bedspreads, blankets and pillows would be replaced the morning of our check-in, etc..) in order to alleviate some of his issues. It was terrific to head into the room and know that things were really clean and safe for him.

 

[mousefansmom]

YES! I bring lysol wipes and spray lysol. i do the entire bathroom, including the floor. then i wipe every light switch, door knob, table surface, etc, etc, and i spray the bedspreads and chairs. I know - kind of crazy. i probably wouldn't even think of germs if it weren't for my dd who gets sick fairly easily and gets VERY sick and has seizures when that happens. so it's always on my mind for that reason. dh and i are insane with the purell in the parks. don't know if any of that helps, but it makes us feel like we're doing something for a situation that's sort of out of our control as parents. and again, if it weren't for dd, i don't think i'd even think of it.

Yep, this is me, too. Similar reasons. But even with all of that, DD got sick and ended up with pneumonia, DH and myself ended up with strep throat at Disney on our last trip. At least I know I tried to keep us healthy!

Mousefansmom

 

[dcgrumpy]

lol... no. But i do pre clean before the maid comes. I find myself fixing up the bed, straightening the chairs... my partner is like "Can we leave yet...we are paying somebody to do this". lol

me too. I was so glad when we stayed at OKW last month that I didn't have to clean for the maid