Disinfecting your room before stay?

[SarahKate]

I've read through all of these posts and I haven't really seen anyone talk about one place that's extremely filthy and nasty - our HOMES! I think if we were to analyze all the surfaces in our homes, we would be totally disgusted by what is found. Especially those of us with pets who are allowed in the house - we don't have pets but I am a TOTAL animal pet, so nothing against folks who have indoor pets.

I watched a show on one of those learning channels w/ this science geek who did tests on the "10 second rule" (when you drop a piece of food and quickly grab it up and put it in your mouth).

They dropped food on different surfaces - grass, the floor at a local mall, and then in someone's home (the family had kids and dogs). It was totally gross what they found on the stuff in the home. We're talking e Coli!!! Dogs bring it in from outside....they have poop on their feet, etc. And humans bring it in too.

Not to go too much into detail, the 10-second rule is NOT TRUE. The food is like a bacteria magnet and attracts it the moment it touches the ground. The only type of food that doesn't apply are hard things that are dry and non porous (like a jelly bean).

I personally take comforters off the bed most of the time and just use the blankets underneath. And if it seems like the floors are dirty and have that tacky feeling, we'll try to wear socks or slip ons.

I try to keep my house clean but we are definitely not germaphobes. Our family is RARELY sick. We do what counts - wash hands after going to the bathroom, handling food, etc. I think that is the MOST important thing that people can do, that's the #1 way to keep from getting sick.....

 

[jncvh]

I'm not a germaphobe. I do carry Clorox wipes everywhere I go, my house has to be cleaned everyday to a T. It is not for me but for my 19 month old daughter who is hypoallergenic and very sensitive to allot of things. One of the reasons I have to scrub the tub, toilet, and bathroom is she is very sensitive to the water in Florida and many other things. She can bath in water in Canada but the water is different in Florida and when she comes in contact with water she breaks out in a very serious rash around her pelvis. When she was 6 months old we took her swimming at our house on Captiva Island and she broke out in a very serious rash that almost hospitalized her. Luckily my wife is a nurse and gave her Benadryl to reduce the reaction. This is the first time that we discovered the problem. She is getting better as her immune system is progressing, but will take time. I am not trying to eliminate all germs just reduce them so that she can enjoy the trip. I know that she touches door handles, railing, and other object. The Clorox wipes isn’t to prevent all germs, just reduce them. Allowing her to build her immune system slowly is better for her than introducing everything at once and her becoming very sick. Both of my other children are fine though. So being a bit of a germaphobe is more of a medical reason for me and the health of my little baby.

 

[Eeyore_girl]

I for one am apparantly NOT a germophobe, but the one thing I always do in hotel rooms is check under the sheets before I crawl in. Most of this is new to me though - but I think I might just rip that ol' comforter off when I am at the next hotel I visit. I really dont see the point in all this obsessing - as others have said we come in contact with this kind of stuff everyday, in our homes! We cant avoid it, so why spray chemicals everywhere in your hotel room and not in your house?

 

[Amyg]

Since bedbugs seem to be on the rise these days, I'd be more concerned about bringing them home with me than anything else in the hotel rooms!

 

[jmminarik]

the "10 second rule" (when you drop a piece of food and quickly grab it up and put it in your mouth).

10 seconds? It's obvious you don't have dogs. We have the 1.3327 second rule, otherwise it's destined to be doggie doo-doo.

I'm guessing none of y'all have watched the Penn and Teller episode on germaphobia.

-Joe

 

[missmun52]

I am going to be at Disney in August for a 7 day trip. I requested a special allergy cleaning for my son who has very sensitive skin and also just got over a staff infection. (took about 6 months of topical medications and antibiotics) Dirt and dust makes eczema flare up with in his case can allow bacteria to enter through the skin causing staff infections.
When i get to the hotel i am going to request them to change all the sheets comforters included, and clean the room. I am planning to be there so that i can make sure of this. I dont really want to go though the aggony of seeing my son go through this again. Trips to the doctor every week is not something i want to look forward to.
I dont think spraying chemicals on your sheets are a good idea but spraying them in the tub, on the toilet, sink, door nobs, and floors are not a bad idea. You should rinse these areas about 10 min after except the carpet of course and open the door to let the fumes out.
you can alos but the products that are "safe". You may find them in a childrens store such as babies r us.

 

[summerrluvv]

Has anyone seen the Clorox hard surface spray that is out? It's new and is supposed to be safe to spray on anything..the picture shows a pacifier. The ingredients are interesting..it's 1 % of some kind of chemical (I think bleach) and 99% "other ingredients". That's exactly what the bottle says "other ingredients" It would be nice if they told you what that that other ingredients part consisted of!

 

[Dismom+two]

I will get some Lysol for our trip. Thanks for the idea.

I know it's all there but I try to block it out of my mind. If we stay at a hotel for more than one night, we ALWAYS purposely spill something on the comforter so that we get a clean one.

NICE.....I'll have to remember to do that myself!! Great idea!!!

 

[vellamint]

Cant we just request clean comforters for the beds in our room.....thats the only thing that really grosses me out (since reading these boards of course - lol).....and I really, really like coming "home" to our room and seeing the beds made up for me.

 

[TheGirlsMom]

I agree with so many of these post but it is Disney World. Everything is clean. That's what I tell my self anyway and it makes me feel better and relax. Of course I never did think of the finger readers.

 

[TheGirlsMom]

I also think they change the comforters for each new guest. The cart they push has them right on there. We spilt soda on our bed and they came and chaged everything. You can always "spill" something your first night and have them change them all.

At the risk of sounding strange, I will tell you I lock our toothbrushes up in the safe before we leave for the day. I have seen that on those shows too.

Everyone has their own quriks.

 

[Contrariwise]

I'm a germaphobe, but I'm also anti- antibacterial products (for the reasons stated in previous posts, I hate that they are so overused and it will come back to bite us all- it's just that those studies aren't reported as much on 60 minutes).

I simply use a baby wipe to wipe the surfaces (knobs, remotes, phones and yes even shopping cart handles (#1 for me ) and other public surfaces. Sometimes I use warm water and regular soap. This is all that's necessary- really!! And maids do wash sheets and tubs with chemicals- no need to add your own.

I'm a little freaked out by the new bed bug situation- but I don't think I could bring myself to strip the bed/check behind headboards. In those cases I'd rather not know- if I found something I'd never be able to go to another hotel!!

 

[mdhkitten]

I just had to post. My boyfriend and his family own 8 hotels currently, and getting ready to open 3 more. Many of their hotels are big names that most people have stayed at once in their life. I asked him about the whole comforter/blanket thing, and he verified that this is true. He said that they change them every couple of weeks unless they are dirty before that time. I just wanted you to have something coming from a major hotel owner! I know that this seems gross (even I think so!) to think of what could go on in a room, but I've stayed at hotels many times, and more times that I can remember at WDW, and have never gotten sick. Also, my daughter was a year old last year and she was fine, too, and you know how easily babies get sick! I just like to think that all people are as clean as my family are! With all of the people in the world disninfecting rooms now, hotels won't need housekeepers much longer!

 

[JafaratHeart]

With all of the people in the world disninfecting rooms now, hotels won't need housekeepers much longer!

LOL. I have to agree. At some point, you cease to be a conscientious traveller and become an obsessive compulsive cleaner. Yes, people have stayed in the room before you. Yes, they've probably left "a little bit of themselves" behind, just like you will when you leave. I think the best advice is regular and proper hand-washing. I work in IT, and I am always at other peoples' computers. Keyboards and mouses are said to be one of the most germ-infested areas in an office - even more so than the bathroom door handles. I've learned to avoid colds and the flu by washing my hands and avoiding touching my face. Same goes for travelling. I guess the bottom line is this: if you can't enjoy yourself without a thorough antibacterial flush, go ahead and do it. Just don't let an overactive imagination ruin your vacation - there will always be something that you could have missed.

 

[vhoffman]

Spill something on the comforter so you'll get a clean one? What makes you think the second comforter is any cleaner than the first? They just pull another one off the shelf, not one fresh from the laundry!

 

[fakereadhed]

Has anyone seen the Clorox hard surface spray that is out? It's new and is supposed to be safe to spray on anything..the picture shows a pacifier. The ingredients are interesting..it's 1 % of some kind of chemical (I think bleach) and 99% "other ingredients". That's exactly what the bottle says "other ingredients" It would be nice if they told you what that that other ingredients part consisted of!

I don't know what is in that cleaner, but I wonder if it might be Hydrogen Peroxide. That's what the peds are recommending now for cleaning nurseries and high chairs. ???

 

[vhoffman]

Well, you certainly don't want to mix bleach with hydrogen peroxide. Toxic fumes could result! However, just using peroxide as a cleaner sounds interesting. Slightly ot, I read that you do NOT want to clean skin wounds with peroxide. The foaming that occurs when it makes contact with blood makes us think its doing a great cleansing job, which it probably does, however, it destroys skin cells right at the cut surface and makes healing longer and increases the possibility of scars. Best thing to clean a cut or abraision with -- plain ol' soap and water!

 

[vellamint]

Well, you certainly don't want to mix bleach with hydrogen peroxide. Toxic fumes could result! However, just using peroxide as a cleaner sounds interesting. Slightly ot, I read that you do NOT want to clean skin wounds with peroxide. The foaming that occurs when it makes contact with blood makes us think its doing a great cleansing job, which it probably does, however, it destroys skin cells right at the cut surface and makes healing longer and increases the possibility of scars. Best thing to clean a cut or abraision with -- plain ol' soap and water!

I concur with this....I remember a number of years ago being told this by my Medical Microbiology professor. Unfortunately when I tell people this they look at me like I have three heads....old habits die hard.

 

[mamacatnv]

Spill something on the comforter so you'll get a clean one? What makes you think the second comforter is any cleaner than the first? They just pull another one off the shelf, not one fresh from the laundry!

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[NotUrsula]

The Clorox hard surface spray is a weak chlorine bleach & water solution mixed with a little vinegar (to neutralize the PH.) Essentially, it's just about the same thing as clean swimming-pool water. It is not a disinfectant. It's a "sanitizer", which I've always thought was a clever euphemism for ordinary soap and water.