Do you bring your own bedding?

[johnsonet]

Heres our routine-
Check in. Nothing goes into our room till the beds are stripped down, mattress/headboard checked visual and with tapestrip. Unfed bedbugs are translucent. The tiny black ants are usually on the underside of the mattress. ebtwen that and the boxspring or they like under pillows. OPen the drawers, if you see powder ask for another room in another building. The powder means recent insecticide.
We bring our clorox wipes & lysol to do a through clean up. We bring our own patterned pillows and blankets, wear slippers in room to safe our socks. We do not use hotel comforters and blankets as they do not always get washed between guests. We put our dirty laundry during the trip into a trashbag NOT the dresser drawers. The dresser drawer is where you store the comforter. When we use an airbed, we use a sleeping bag and put the airbed on a clean shower curtain not on the carpet. Depending on how much room we have to pack, we sometimes bring an airpurifier too. Those are great for cruises or stuffy rooms. with FL humidity.
We always leave clean clothing in our suitcases and we dont leave those suitcases on the floor or the beds. We do not use their coffeepots or cups left in the room.
When we return home, we empty our stuff into the garage and everything goes directly into the washer machine off the garage. Suitcases do not enter the home, they get a no pest strip inside and then a sealed plastic bigbag.
If we are driving the next stop is our fancy shamcy car wash and we get that car ubbercleaned.
We are not paranoid. just very aware of the cost of fumigating our home & replacing all mattresses which is $$$$$ My husband travels globally with his work staying in a hotel room about 18-20 days a month. We also have a cousin that is a CM at DL and another family member my cousins daughter who is a CM at WDW. When I was a older teen I worked doing room service at a posh hotel. Our routine was developed by need because one of my children has had chronically poor health plus DH had some bad bad yucky hotel rooms and it works really well.
Another tip is to have the first ADR at any buffet dining and bring our own fork from the table to put food on your plate. When you have children in line that are young give them something to hold in their hands while waiting for the rides or shows like a kushball. When you go through a turnstile use your hip not your hands, my kids know to do the bump. Even from a young age they understood the need, we have passed around the pukes while on vacation before.
Once my daughter was hurt at DLhotel fell out of bed and cut her chin open (that was the same day we watched the fatal accident in Frontierland.) The hotel staff was very caring and attentive. If you do have an issue, be sure to bring it up right away. Especially an unclean room or stained mattresses. They will move you and if you wait to bring all your stuff in till youve done a good inspection, it isnt as big a deal or time wasted.

 

[kaytieeldr]

When you go through a turnstile use your hip not your hands, my kids know to do the bump. Even from a young age they understood the need, we have passed around the pukes while on vacation before.

But never, ever, ever, ever, ever at home? Ever?

 

[Denmark]

Heres our routine-
Check in. Nothing goes into our room till the beds are stripped down, mattress/headboard checked visual and with tapestrip. Unfed bedbugs are translucent. The tiny black ants are usually on the underside of the mattress. ebtwen that and the boxspring or they like under pillows. OPen the drawers, if you see powder ask for another room in another building. The powder means recent insecticide.
We bring our clorox wipes & lysol to do a through clean up. We bring our own patterned pillows and blankets, wear slippers in room to safe our socks. We do not use hotel comforters and blankets as they do not always get washed between guests. We put our dirty laundry during the trip into a trashbag NOT the dresser drawers. The dresser drawer is where you store the comforter. When we use an airbed, we use a sleeping bag and put the airbed on a clean shower curtain not on the carpet. Depending on how much room we have to pack, we sometimes bring an airpurifier too. Those are great for cruises or stuffy rooms. with FL humidity.
We always leave clean clothing in our suitcases and we dont leave those suitcases on the floor or the beds. We do not use their coffeepots or cups left in the room.
When we return home, we empty our stuff into the garage and everything goes directly into the washer machine off the garage. Suitcases do not enter the home, they get a no pest strip inside and then a sealed plastic bigbag.
If we are driving the next stop is our fancy shamcy car wash and we get that car ubbercleaned.
We are not paranoid. just very aware of the cost of fumigating our home & replacing all mattresses which is $$$$$ My husband travels globally with his work staying in a hotel room about 18-20 days a month. We also have a cousin that is a CM at DL and another family member my cousins daughter who is a CM at WDW. When I was a older teen I worked doing room service at a posh hotel. Our routine was developed by need because one of my children has had chronically poor health plus DH had some bad bad yucky hotel rooms and it works really well.
Another tip is to have the first ADR at any buffet dining and bring our own fork from the table to put food on your plate. When you have children in line that are young give them something to hold in their hands while waiting for the rides or shows like a kushball. When you go through a turnstile use your hip not your hands, my kids know to do the bump. Even from a young age they understood the need, we have passed around the pukes while on vacation before.
Once my daughter was hurt at DLhotel fell out of bed and cut her chin open (that was the same day we watched the fatal accident in Frontierland.) The hotel staff was very caring and attentive. If you do have an issue, be sure to bring it up right away. Especially an unclean room or stained mattresses. They will move you and if you wait to bring all your stuff in till youve done a good inspection, it isnt as big a deal or time wasted.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Here is my holiday routine. I get to the hotel drop my hand luggage on the floor, lie on the bed thinking no work for xx number of days. Look at what is available in the hotel go to nearest bar and have a drink. No sheets brought hand sanitizer or another sanitizer anything just sit back relax and enjoy a normal week with weekend (I work shifts so it is nice to have monday to sunday without thinking if which shift pattern I am on)

 

[maxiesmom]

Heres our routine-
Check in. Nothing goes into our room till the beds are stripped down, mattress/headboard checked visual and with tapestrip. Unfed bedbugs are translucent. The tiny black ants are usually on the underside of the mattress. ebtwen that and the boxspring or they like under pillows. OPen the drawers, if you see powder ask for another room in another building. The powder means recent insecticide.
We bring our clorox wipes & lysol to do a through clean up. We bring our own patterned pillows and blankets, wear slippers in room to safe our socks. We do not use hotel comforters and blankets as they do not always get washed between guests. We put our dirty laundry during the trip into a trashbag NOT the dresser drawers. The dresser drawer is where you store the comforter. When we use an airbed, we use a sleeping bag and put the airbed on a clean shower curtain not on the carpet. Depending on how much room we have to pack, we sometimes bring an airpurifier too. Those are great for cruises or stuffy rooms. with FL humidity.
We always leave clean clothing in our suitcases and we dont leave those suitcases on the floor or the beds. We do not use their coffeepots or cups left in the room.
When we return home, we empty our stuff into the garage and everything goes directly into the washer machine off the garage. Suitcases do not enter the home, they get a no pest strip inside and then a sealed plastic bigbag.
If we are driving the next stop is our fancy shamcy car wash and we get that car ubbercleaned.
We are not paranoid. just very aware of the cost of fumigating our home & replacing all mattresses which is $$$$$ My husband travels globally with his work staying in a hotel room about 18-20 days a month. We also have a cousin that is a CM at DL and another family member my cousins daughter who is a CM at WDW. When I was a older teen I worked doing room service at a posh hotel. Our routine was developed by need because one of my children has had chronically poor health plus DH had some bad bad yucky hotel rooms and it works really well.
Another tip is to have the first ADR at any buffet dining and bring our own fork from the table to put food on your plate. When you have children in line that are young give them something to hold in their hands while waiting for the rides or shows like a kushball. When you go through a turnstile use your hip not your hands, my kids know to do the bump. Even from a young age they understood the need, we have passed around the pukes while on vacation before.
Once my daughter was hurt at DLhotel fell out of bed and cut her chin open (that was the same day we watched the fatal accident in Frontierland.) The hotel staff was very caring and attentive. If you do have an issue, be sure to bring it up right away. Especially an unclean room or stained mattresses. They will move you and if you wait to bring all your stuff in till youve done a good inspection, it isnt as big a deal or time wasted.

Wow. I actually feel sorry for you. You have gone waay overboard in trying to stay healthy, and are most likely causing more harm to your immune system by not exposing it to normal, every day germs. What you are doing is NOT good for you.

 

[DisDarling]

If u need to take those kinds of precautions every time you go on vacation.. HOW is it a vacation for you?? I dont want to change sheets and such, I can do that at home.

 

[leighe]

Good Lord. My dad is a scientist whose specialty is soil and bacteria and I have heard him talk for years (even before the whole anti-bacterial craze started) about how our lives in general were becoming too clean and allergies were going to increase while natural immunities were going to decrease.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

I bring my own pillow and blanket. But it really is more for a comfort reason than for germs. I like my own feather pillow and a cotton blanket. Those hotel blankets are just too warm. We never use the bedspreads.

We drive so we usually use our pillows in the car too. As far as bedbugs are concerned I am counting on figuring out there were bugs in the room before we leave. If that were to happen I think everything will go in the trash.

And I do wipe down the phone, the doorknobs and the remote with Chlorox wipes when I arrive. My children got a very nasty infection called Shigella from a place called Monkey Joe's. After speaking with the Health Department numerous times and watching my children suffer with this I decided it was worth my trouble to wipe things off.

It is great to have the Chlorox wipes to wipe off a counter service table during busy times when there aren't a lot of tables available.

Also, I have seen a lot of Bellman's carts with others pillows on them so I think it is pretty common.

 

[leighe]

Hey! Looks like we'll be enjoying our germy vacation at the Poly at the exact same time!

 

[aprilgail2]

Heres our routine-
Check in. Nothing goes into our room till the beds are stripped down, mattress/headboard checked visual and with tapestrip. Unfed bedbugs are translucent. The tiny black ants are usually on the underside of the mattress. ebtwen that and the boxspring or they like under pillows. OPen the drawers, if you see powder ask for another room in another building. The powder means recent insecticide.
We bring our clorox wipes & lysol to do a through clean up. We bring our own patterned pillows and blankets, wear slippers in room to safe our socks. We do not use hotel comforters and blankets as they do not always get washed between guests. We put our dirty laundry during the trip into a trashbag NOT the dresser drawers. The dresser drawer is where you store the comforter. When we use an airbed, we use a sleeping bag and put the airbed on a clean shower curtain not on the carpet. Depending on how much room we have to pack, we sometimes bring an airpurifier too. Those are great for cruises or stuffy rooms. with FL humidity.
We always leave clean clothing in our suitcases and we dont leave those suitcases on the floor or the beds. We do not use their coffeepots or cups left in the room.
When we return home, we empty our stuff into the garage and everything goes directly into the washer machine off the garage. Suitcases do not enter the home, they get a no pest strip inside and then a sealed plastic bigbag.
If we are driving the next stop is our fancy shamcy car wash and we get that car ubbercleaned.
We are not paranoid. just very aware of the cost of fumigating our home & replacing all mattresses which is $$$$$ My husband travels globally with his work staying in a hotel room about 18-20 days a month. We also have a cousin that is a CM at DL and another family member my cousins daughter who is a CM at WDW. When I was a older teen I worked doing room service at a posh hotel. Our routine was developed by need because one of my children has had chronically poor health plus DH had some bad bad yucky hotel rooms and it works really well.
Another tip is to have the first ADR at any buffet dining and bring our own fork from the table to put food on your plate. When you have children in line that are young give them something to hold in their hands while waiting for the rides or shows like a kushball. When you go through a turnstile use your hip not your hands, my kids know to do the bump. Even from a young age they understood the need, we have passed around the pukes while on vacation before.
Once my daughter was hurt at DLhotel fell out of bed and cut her chin open (that was the same day we watched the fatal accident in Frontierland.) The hotel staff was very caring and attentive. If you do have an issue, be sure to bring it up right away. Especially an unclean room or stained mattresses. They will move you and if you wait to bring all your stuff in till youve done a good inspection, it isnt as big a deal or time wasted.

OMG- why bother to even leave your house if you have to go through all that just to stay in a hotel???? Sorry but I think you should maybe look into getting some help, that is a pretty big issue you are dealing with...

 

[CookingMama]

.

 

[MidgeHadley]

Wow.
Yes we have had the flu at home. But we have had the travelers more frequently as we were traveling
One of my kids is immune-compromised and I am very aware of the overuse of antibiotics. Since we live on a ranch, yes we get plenty of exposure to dirt and our bugs here in rural Texas are bigger & tougher then the puny FL palmettos and no seeums.
We bother to leave the house ? I know you are flaming and being sarcastic, but I was sharing our routine as a frequent traveler with a large family, four kids still at home.
Each to their own and ours is based on our experiences with bedbugs, fleas, ants etc.. in hotel rooms and the fact my husband travels for a living we also travel more frequently along with him. I prefer staying in a clean room and most of the time that means cleaning it myself. You can request your room at wdw to be specially cleaned and they will do a complete dusting etc..

You should price how much it is to get fumingated and replace 6 mattress sets. Bed bugs are all over epidemic in some citys, and if you want to risk it, its your business.
I always buckle up too.

How many times have you encountered bedbugs and fleas in hotels?

 

[CookingMama]

 

[bavaria]

One can take reasonable precautions, but when one performs an action which potentially endangers others (such as using ones own utensils at a buffet and cross-contaminating food) under the guise of protecting ones family, that is a selfish action inconsiderate of others.

Please reconsider your use of utensils. If you feel that you cannot use the serving utensils provided by the restaurant, perhaps you need to reconsider eating at buffets entirely.

 

[CookingMama]

 

[bavaria]

I assume then that you only eat one item each time you go to the buffet?

If you take your one fork to the buffet, take some meat, and then use that same fork to take vegetables you have now cross-contaminated the food. If the restaurant is made aware they will have to replace the item thanks to your action.

I couldn't care less about imaginary 'cooties'. But I could get ill in the scenario I described, and worse, another guest could have an allergic reaction, which in some cases are life threatening.

Hopefully you will understand what several of us have tried to explain to you, and will discontinue this practice, or not eat at buffets.

 

[missDisneylady]

Wow.
Yes we have had the flu at home. But we have had the travelers more frequently as we were traveling
One of my kids is immune-compromised and I am very aware of the overuse of antibiotics. Since we live on a ranch, yes we get plenty of exposure to dirt and our bugs here in rural Texas are bigger & tougher then the puny FL palmettos and no seeums.
We bother to leave the house ? I know you are flaming and being sarcastic, but I was sharing our routine as a frequent traveler with a large family, four kids still at home.
Each to their own and ours is based on our experiences with bedbugs, fleas, ants etc.. in hotel rooms and the fact my husband travels for a living we also travel more frequently along with him. I prefer staying in a clean room and most of the time that means cleaning it myself. You can request your room at wdw to be specially cleaned and they will do a complete dusting etc..

You should price how much it is to get fumingated and replace 6 mattress sets. Bed bugs are all over epidemic in some citys, and if you want to risk it, its your business.
I always buckle up too.

I keep trying to ignore this thread and not comment anymore but I have to. There are sarcastic comments being made and it is unnecessary. CookingMama was just sharing her routine. If someone wants to voice why they don't feel it necessary to follow such measures, fine, but she was not asking to be mocked or chastised for her practices.If some people want to take extra precautions to ensure they have a clean room that's their business. If others don't, thats their prerogative.

A few years ago, I overheard a co-worker stating that she and her boyfriend got a room in a nice hotel. They proceeded to urinate on one of the beds in the room, returned the next night and requested the same room. The bed was still damp and stained and didn't appear to have been cleaned. I don't know if it was true. I don't know why anyone would do that or why they would tell anyone if they did. However, I've learned that people actually do filthy things like that....smear fecal matter and menstrual blood in the rooms,etc. Couple that with all the admissions I've heard that "Sometimes, if the sheets don't look soiled, I just straighten them and go on." "We rarely wash those bedspreads." "I don't bother cleaning that shower curtain unless it looks really dirty." "We go from room to room cleaning everything from the toliet lid, to the sink, to the fridge with the same rag." These came from housekeepers. Which nobody had to tell me that to know that's this kind of stuff goes on, I already figured as much. Some people do not take pride in their jobs and will cut corners where they can.

This is why I take the time to sanitize my room. If I'm staying somewhere with a W/D, i just wash the linens already provided. If that is not an option, I bring my own linens which will have been recently purchased.

Just because we have a different perspective on cleanliness doesn't mean we are dumb. We're not 5, we know that exposure to germs is vital to a healthy immune system. We also know that some germs will leave you severly sick or dead. If we are cautious enough to attempt to avoid bed bugs at the hotels, we are not stupid enough to potentially infest our own homes. CookingMama seems to have a routine to address that, and I just discard my linens at the hotel.

No, we would not be freaked out by what goes on in the kitchen because we have already thought about that. That's why I rarely eat out, especially fast food and certainly not buffets. I just try to avoid buffets altogether because I've seen grown adults eat off the bars, kids playing in food, people dropping the utensils on the floor and placing back in the food, etc.

Yes, we know we are surrounded by germs at the parks and we do use the "toliets". In my everyday life, I don't allow people to stand all up on me and invade my personal space. During my trips to Disney, keeping that boundary has not been a problem. I use Lysol and a few seat covers for the toliets. Yes, I flush with my foot. Why would I use my hand when I know that so many people(even non-germphobes) have used their foot?

All that said, I don't let it ruin my vacation and I don't run around obsessing over it. I'm sure CookingMama doesn't either. I enjoy the parks and the restaurants. My issue will always be with the room because where I dwell and lay my head has to be clean. Basically, it's more about cleanliness than anything. For someone to walk barefoot in a hotel room where the floors and carpet have been cleaned God knows when is just plain NASTY--in my opinion. Then again, thats your prerogative.

CookingMama, I agree with pretty much everything you say. I do take issue with the utensil/buffet thing though. I understand why you do it, but most people are going to think you are using a used fork. It really can lead to cross contamination of the food, and it only takes a trace amount to set off an allergic reaction.

 

[Denmark]

I keep trying to ignore this thread and not comment anymore but I have to. There are sarcastic comments being made and it is unnecessary. CookingMama was just sharing her routine. If someone wants to voice why they don't feel it necessary to follow such measures, fine, but she was not asking to be mocked or chastised for her practices.If some people want to take extra precautions to ensure they have a clean room that's their business. If others don't, thats their prerogative.

A few years ago, I overheard a co-worker stating that she and her boyfriend got a room in a nice hotel. They proceeded to urinate on one of the beds in the room, returned the next night and requested the same room. The bed was still damp and stained and didn't appear to have been cleaned. I don't know if it was true. I don't know why anyone would do that or why they would tell anyone if they did. However, I've learned that people actually do filthy things like that....smear fecal matter and menstrual blood in the rooms,etc. Couple that with all the admissions I've heard that "Sometimes, if the sheets don't look soiled, I just straighten them and go on." "We rarely wash those bedspreads." "I don't bother cleaning that shower curtain unless it looks really dirty." "We go from room to room cleaning everything from the toliet lid, to the sink, to the fridge with the same rag." These came from housekeepers. Which nobody had to tell me that to know that's this kind of stuff goes on, I already figured as much. Some people do not take pride in their jobs and will cut corners where they can.

This is why I take the time to sanitize my room. If I'm staying somewhere with a W/D, i just wash the linens already provided. If that is not an option, I bring my own linens which will have been recently purchased.

Just because we have a different perspective on cleanliness doesn't mean we are dumb. We're not 5, we know that exposure to germs is vital to a healthy immune system. We also know that some germs will leave you severly sick or dead. If we are cautious enough to attempt to avoid bed bugs at the hotels, we are not stupid enough to potentially infest our own homes. CookingMama seems to have a routine to address that, and I just discard my linens at the hotel.

No, we would not be freaked out by what goes on in the kitchen because we have already thought about that. That's why I rarely eat out, especially fast food and certainly not buffets. I just try to avoid buffets altogether because I've seen grown adults eat off the bars, kids playing in food, people dropping the utensils on the floor and placing back in the food, etc.

Yes, we know we are surrounded by germs at the parks and we do use the "toliets". In my everyday life, I don't allow people to stand all up on me and invade my personal space. During my trips to Disney, keeping that boundary has not been a problem. I use Lysol and a few seat covers for the toliets. Yes, I flush with my foot. Why would I use my hand when I know that so many people(even non-germphobes) have used their foot?

All that said, I don't let it ruin my vacation and I don't run around obsessing over it. I'm sure CookingMama doesn't either. I enjoy the parks and the restaurants. My issue will always be with the room because where I dwell and lay my head has to be clean. Basically, it's more about cleanliness than anything. For someone to walk barefoot in a hotel room where the floors and carpet have been cleaned God knows when is just plain NASTY--in my opinion. Then again, thats your prerogative.

CookingMama, I agree with pretty much everything you say. I do take issue with the utensil/buffet thing though. I understand why you do it, but most people are going to think you are using a used fork. It really can lead to cross contamination of the food, and it only takes a trace amount to set off an allergic reaction.

Ofcause you can do whatever you want when staying in a hotel room

The routines you exercise is rare, most people trust the maids in the hotels to do their job.

Germs is not that malicious. If so, then i would be sick by now, or even dead.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just because we have a different perspective on cleanliness doesn't mean we are dumb.

Omigawd. NOBODY said, or implied, dumb. It's too bad you inferred that from what you've read here. Overdoing things, sure. But that's got NOTHING to do with anyone's intelligence!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

We ask for the first seating if we are at a buffet. And using the fork supplied on your table setting doesnt cross contaminate anything. Are you assuming I would return for seconds with a dirty fork

Not in the least. But you ARE cross-contaminating one FOOD into the next FOOD. Not your germs, of course not. I feel safe saying everybody in this thread knows you don't use a fork that's been in your mouth to serve yourself from the buffet.

But you do not have any way of knowing who is allergic to what. By serving yourself out of multiple containers using one fork, you are introducing ingredients from the first tray into the second, and ingredients from the second (and possibly the first as well) into the third, and ingredients from the third (and maybe the second, and perhaps traces of the first) into the fourth...