Disinfecting Resort Room

[maggiew]

Now normally I am not a germophob. But after reading these boards for a year I am nervous about getting sick while at Disney and wasting the vacation.

So, I was thinking of things to pack and I wonder if I should get Lysol spray or do they make wipes??? I want to wipe off the remote control and the doorknobs.

I will also be checking for bedbugs and folding the comforter to the end of the bed.

Maggie

 

[ZuZugal]

Lysol does make great wipes for travel.....w/3 kids I always have them on hand. If you are flying, don't pack the aerosol spray. The airlines don't like that.

As for the bedbugs, I haven't read about any in these posts in a long time. They are nothing you can see during the day. They are tiny to begin with, and hide in the mattress, carpet, (even outlets!) during the day. Rolling back or totally removing the comforter is a good idea though.

 

[poohandwendy]

But after reading these boards for a year I am nervous about getting sick while at Disney and wasting the vacation.

Think of it this way, how many of your family vacations have been disrupted by illness, and specifically an illness that could be contributed to lack of sterile environment? How many of those vacations have you come prepared to sterilize your room? I guarantee that WDW is as clean and safe a vacation as you are going to have elsewhere. I wouldn't worry about it, go and have a good time. If you feel the need to take Lysol, all the power to ya. I would suggest finding a scent you are happy with and definitely using the wopes instead of aerosol. That stuff is powerful, I wouldn't want my room smelling of disinfectant.

 

[professorandmom]

Two easier suggestions - slip the remote in a small (or medium) ziploc bag

After you remove the comforter, Ask for flat sheets the size of your bed and add them on top of the blankets for the double-sheet treatment

These take two minutes and (when the room is very clean, which is usual) satisfy my need for heebie geebie removal

oh, and don't watch 20/20 or dateline from your room incase they replay the hotel room swab test shows
Barb

 

[married2grumpy]

Because of what we've read on these boards, we always travel with a can of Lysol. As soon as I get in the room I spray everything down that we may touch. It takes all of 2 minutes but puts my mind at ease for the whole trip. It may not kill all the germs but it sure makes me feels better. So I say, bring the Lysol and spray away. I personally like the smell of some of the Lysol scents and now when I use them at home, they remind me of all our vacations !

By the way, we did have our very first Disney trip ruined due to a bug the kids caught while we were away. Our pediatrician thought it may have been from somehow ingesting water from the kiddie pool. At ages 2 and 1 it's hard to keep them from getting that water in their mouth. It really did a number on them and put a halt to our vacation.

There are no guarantees when you are on vacation that you won't get sick but an ounce of prevention may help and if not, it sure wont hurt!

 

[eeyore45]

I'm with the bleech crowd, its not an aersol can, and placed in a ziplock bag is quite potable... then spray down, and wipe off

I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to ask for more top sheets.. and bed bugs.. great...

 

[COACHSTING]

Been to Disney resorts maybe 14 times and the only time I am sick is when we get home and have to go back to work. Never had a problem.

 

[Ilovestitch]

I thought germs can't live very long on surfaces like doorknobs. That's also why people don't get sick from sitting on a toilet seat. Unless you're going around licking the surfaces in your room, I wouldn't be worried. Think of the thousands of people staying in a Disney hotel each night- if they were filled w/germs and bugs wouldn't you hear of more people being sick? WDW hotels are always super clean in my opinion, I'm usually having too much fun to even think of germs. -Stephanie

 

[Clotho]

Originally posted by Ilovestitch
I thought germs can't live very long on surfaces like doorknobs. That's also why people don't get sick from sitting on a toilet seat. Unless you're going around licking the surfaces in your room, I wouldn't be worried. Think of the thousands of people staying in a Disney hotel each night- if they were filled w/germs and bugs wouldn't you hear of more people being sick? WDW hotels are always super clean in my opinion, I'm usually having too much fun to even think of germs. -Stephanie

Exactly. Seems overkill to me to travel with Lysol spray (not putting you down, it's just overkill in MY opinion).

We in the US are so sanitation freaked out all the time. We are so overconcerned about cleanliness. I think there is a healthy degree of concern, and then there is fretting. Putting a hotel remote in a plastic bag, or disinfecting every surface of your hotel room reeks of a hypochondriac!

As Stephanie said--don't lick your remote, and I am sure you'll be fine.

 

[Rhonda]

I've never worried about wiping down the doorknobs or remote on any of our 20+ visits to WDW, and we've never gotten sick from it, as far as I know.

If I were that worried, I would bring wipes with me to the parks and wipe down the rollercoaster handles in front of me, the gate handles into the rides, the money I get as change from the restaurants, the bottles or glasses of soda from the counter service places, and everything else I came in contact with! I don't like to be that paranoid.

Ilovestich is right - by the time you check into your room, most of the germs on the door handles are dead anyway. Don't worry about it and have a great time on vacation!!

 

[Sammy]

I understand people want their families to stay healthy for vacation, but.......but are you going to bring the Lysol can around with you to spray every surface the parks? How about every piece of money or coin you will be handed in change throughout your stay? What about the handles and bars on the rides? I would think that your room, which has been cleaned by housekeeping prior to your arrival, would be one of the <i>cleanest</i> areas you'll encounter during your entire stay!

 

[Sammy]

Rhonda:

Looks like we posted the same opinion at the same time!!

Sammy

 

[married2grumpy]

Some of you take what we are saying to an extreme. We come into contact with germs everyday. We don't walk around disinfecting everything we touch.

Worrying about it does not consume our whole vacation. Like I said, it takes 2 minutes to spray your room to make you feel comfortable. What's wrong with that? Let us "germaphobes" have a little piece of mind without taking it to the next level. I think it is obvious we will not be licking doorknobs. A hotel room is your home while away. I don't intend on sleeping, changing or showering in the parks or public areas. If someone wants to spray their "home" while away it's OK. It doesn't make them weird or freaks. It makes them comfortable to do private things in a room that someone else has done private things in.

As far as the parks are concerned, I do bring hand sanitizer and every so often we use it. I tell my kids to try not to put their hands in their mouths, eyes or noses whenever they touch anything in public areas. We wash our hands before meals. That is not overkill, that's good hygiene.

I agree that most of the germs from the previous guests are probably gone by the time the next guest checks in but a little sray of Lysol will kill 99.9% of any that are still there.

 

[Fridye]

I like the idea for the flat sheet, ProfessorandMom. I've always appreciated the hotels that automatically put a sheet on top of the blanket. I just never thought of doing it myself. Thank you!

 

[harlock_jds]

My solution to this problem is to keep my home as messy as possible, that way I build up a tolerance to germs. I doubt any germs at the resorts can stand up to my mighty immune system

Plus not cleaning at home creates more free time

don't lick your remote, and I am sure you'll be fine.

Awwwwwww that's no fun

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by harlock_jds
My solution to this problem is to keep my home as messy as possible, that way I build up a tolerance to germs. I doubt any germs at the resorts can stand up to my mighty immune system

Plus not cleaning at home creates more free time




Awwwwwww that's no fun

A soul mate!!!!

OK raise your hands - Who'd rather DIS than clean ???

 

[punkypip]

The best way to stay healthy is to wash your hands and if you cant use soap and water, use hand wipes before you eat or drink.
Think of how many people touch the hand rails etc in the parks, compared to the number of people who touched the remote control- YIKES Pippi

 

[Ladyhawke10]

No one's ever gotten sick during our travels either...and we never clean the room beyond what housekeeping has done, and lay all over the comforters and blankets, and use the remote control and doorknobs to our hearts' content. I do wash my and my young child's hands fairly often...for us, that does the trick, apparently.

 

[eeyore45]

Raising my hand!!!

I'd rather Dis than clean!!

 

[pandora174]

Don't worry I do the same thing since I have a 19 month old son . To make myself feel better I take a can of Lysol & spray the entire room & carpet ! My DH thinks it's halarious but somehow it makes me feel better about the baby all over the place. I also take the antibacterial wipes for back up. Whatever makes you feel comfortable & relaxed to enjoy your vacation