Do you "sanitize" your room when you first get there?

[titan7342]

First thing I do is remove the comforter from the bed, then I wipe down the entire bathroom area. After all that I get out my trusty zip lock bag I pack for just this purpose and that is to put the tv remote into. That way when I want to actually watch tv I don't have to worry about all the germs. Oh, and I never walk barefoot in the room. Of course, my girlfriend thinks I am quit strange for doing all this but oh well she loves me anyway.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

This thread has helped me rethink how I clean my house. I've often wondered if all those expensive, toxic products that promised to clean & kill germs really worked. Hmmm...

THANKS to CanBeGrumpy for starting this thread!

And a special THANK YOU to all who replied to my house cleaning questions. Your replies are really very helpful!

I keep my house & car clean & my stuff neat because I like it that way. I'm also conscious to wash my hands. But...

To answer CanBeGrumpy's [the OP] original question:

I've never cleaned my hotel room. I know this is a sensitive topic & I'm not criticizing anyone. It just has never occurred to me to clean my hotel room, and I don't pack cleaning supplies.

I think the problem at DW could be the mousekeepers are hurried to get the rooms clean so they can stick the next family in and also it is hard to find people to do good cleaning work day after day.

I also think the cleaning staff -- at WDW & elsewhere-- does a "quick" job & takes many "short cuts."

I have been dissatisfied with the condition of the room a couple of times, and once I requested it be re-cleaned. The beds were made but used towels were left on the bathroom floor, soap & soap scum left on the bathtub shelf, used glasses on the bathroom counter, trash in the pail, & candy & cereal on the floor around the bed & under the table & chairs in the room.

But even if I believe the staff takes "short cuts" I am still not going to start cleaning the room when I check in. I'm on vacation. I want to relax & have fun and I don't think I would if I were focusing on cleaning & germs. The most I do is wear flip-flops...but I do all the time anyway, even with sox when the weather cools.

Btw, I don't think I'd throw the bedspread on the floor if I wanted to avoid germs because I would think the housekeeper would just pick it up off the floor & put it back on the bed.

However, if it makes you feel better to clean your room & helps you to relax & have a better time then I say go for it! It's your vacation, do what makes you happy...isn't that what vacations are all about?

Hakuna Matata!

 

[Nuts4Disney]

NUTSFORDISNEY- You said exactly what I was trying to say earlier! Great reply!!!

Thanks DW mouser!

What's that saying...Great minds think alike! LOL!

 

[TZMOM]

I could care less - stayed in many, many rooms all over the world and lived to tell the tale.

 

[jpmom]

This is such a funny thread.

I do Lysol wipe the bathroom areas as well as the TV remote --

I have had some "experiences" with Disney Mousekeeping, so IMHO, you can never be too sure.

In fact, last trip to AKL we found shards of glass on the floor right in front of the closet/sink area. DH stepped on it (no one got hurt, thank God) but what if.....????

Disney standards may be higher than most, but I still don't leave things to chance.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

All this talk about anti-bacterial sprays, soaps and gels makes me have to point this out:

If you have a thyroid condition or even a family history of one, please do not use any product with triclosan. An antibacterial gel that uses only alcohol as an antibacterial agent is fine, but one with triclosan can activate a borderline hypothyroidism or make someone with active hypothyroidism very ill.

Triclosan products are also one of the number one products that breed those "superbugs". (Bacteria that fight off the antibacterial stuff and get stronger and stronger and without good bacteria to fight it, superbugs can cause some hardier versions of illnesses. )

Truly the best thing to do is to drink lots of fluids and wash often with soap and water- the best things you can do to have a healthy immune system!

Thanks LuluLovesDisney for the heads up on Tricolosan!

I found that my Soft Soap Antibacterial hand soap contains Tricolosan.

I did a google search on Triclosan and found that it's more toxic than the germs we're trying to avoid. Yikes!

And I originally bought that Soft Soap because I liked the fresh fragrance. Well, we're switching to a milder soap.

Thanks again. Hope this helps someone else.

Hakuna Matata!

 

[Threehearts]

on Triclosan, very alarming. I also understand that this chemical is in quite a few popular toothpastes. I will look into alternatives. Threehearts

 

[yecats]

I do take clorox wipes and generally do wipe down the door handles (both inside and outside of bathroom and entrance door) as well as knobs, toilet handle and seat, sink and counter surface area and table and parts of the tub. I also have to clean the remote and have yet to see a clean service on a phone (always find phone earpiece greasy). I only do this once and generally right when I get in the room. I don't take a bath (only shower and I attempt to clean the showerhead) and I do use a towel on the floor. I wear cheap throw away shoes (feet are covered and just slide in them) that act like slippers from kmart (about $5 or 6) and use these to walk to the pool area and around the resort so I don't have to wear socks and my feet don't touch the carpet. I do a general look at the bedding and sheets and under the bed as well to see if they all look clean. The bedspread generally gets folded to the end of the bed. However, I feel that I am realistic in that I know the maid comes in after cleaning the last room and touches everything all over again bringing in new germs but I will only do this bit of cleaning once there. I also do wash my hands before eating and of course everytime I use the bathroom (we have some women where I work at that don't wash their hands and it absolutely disgust me).

Lastly, 3 years ago I had to work out of a different office in another state for 3 weeks. I lived out of a Residence Inn and did basic sanitizing when I got there but that wasn't enough. When I got home for Thanksgiving, I began to have flu like symptoms that didn't abate and was hospitalized for 8 days and had to recover and get my strenth back up for another week after that. Turns out that I had both viral and bacterial pneumonia (guess my immune system isn't so good). My doctor had asked me what I had been doing prior to this and I stated that I just returned from out of town where I lived in a hotel for 3 weeks. My doctor stated that the bacterial part could've come from the shower head if the water wasn't heated to the proper temperature to keep the bacterial from growing in it or the shower head hadn't been cleaned in a while.
When I was in the hospital on the 5th day, I was supposed to have been in WDW beginning my vacation and I truly can't tell you how disappointed and sick I was.

People do what they feel like they need to do but realistically, we begin to bring the germs back with us more and more from the parks or sitting in a restaurant so unless you are continuously cleaning there going to be there.

 

[fitzperry]

We started doing that after I read on these boards about some poor girl who stayed at a Disney hotel and got bed bugs really bad. It took months for her to get better! That grossed me out SO bad

There was an article in my local paper today about the recent resurgence in bed bug infestations. It mentioned hotels as a common trouble spot and said that some hotels are being proactive and using some sort of an annual treatment program provided by Orkin to prevent them. I wonder if such a thing is effective and whether Disney might be doing it.

 

[CanBeGrumpy]

I have to say, I don't clean my room because I think I will "catch" something, it is more of a "I don't want other people's stuff on my hands" type of thing. I mean, if you could actually *see* fecal matter on the flush handle, you would clean it, right? Well, I can almost guarantee it is there, so I clean it! As for the parks, sure you are exposed to stuff there, but you are in public and expect that, and are probably more vigilant about hand washing and not touching your face, etc. In a hotel room, you want to feel "at home" and not have to be so "on guard". Thus, I do a quick wipe-down of the areas I think could have the most "stuff" on them. My house is a complete pig stye at all times, so I am definitely not a clean freak, I just want to be able to relax in my hotel room without the previous guest's fecal matter on my hands!!

Oh, and the reason I don't walk barefoot on the carpet: don't want nail fungus!! I let my kids and Dh do it because I don't want the kids growing up worrying about the little stuff and I figure the risk is very small, but I just can't bring myself to do it!

 

[Jamesbyr]

Wow. 230 posts that tell us basically, don't stay in hotel rooms.

All that is good. More space for the rest of us.

 

[DisFlan]

I found that my Soft Soap Antibacterial hand soap contains Tricolosan.

Do a Google search for "Triclosan dioxin contamination". (Don't use the quotes.)


DisFlan

 

[iradi8]

This is why I have a camper!!! Don't have to worry about other people's germs, bodily fluids, stray hairs, etc.

When we do stay in a hotel I Lysol everything as soon as we get there. Also, I remove the comforter and put it away.

 

[freakylick]

it is more of a "I don't want other people's stuff on my hands" type of thing. I mean, if you could actually *see* fecal matter on the flush handle, you would clean it, right? Well, I can almost guarantee it is there, so I clean it!

Well I won't ruin your peace of mind...so by all means, clean away!

If I could actually see the fecal matter, I would clean it...because I just don't want to see it. But in my head, I still know what's there.

 

[Poohsmommi]

I bring a can of lysol and everything gets sprayed first - the sink handles, the phone, remote, toilet, bathtub, etc. I also request clean blankets and bedspreads for my stay.

 

[disney1990]

No, I didn't read through all the posts in this thread.

But, I can't worry about spraying everything in our hotel room. I can't walk around Disney World spraying everything that we touch all day long and I'm not going to drive myself worrying about it.

I refuse to use hand sanifiers. The active ingredient in hand sanitizers is actually classified as a pesticide -- yuck, I'm not putting that on my hands and then eating.

I believe in scrubbing with good old soap and water. It's what I've always done and I never get sick.

But, to each his own.

What's in the Hand Sanitizer?
Triclosan

The latest rage in the arsenal of antibacterial chemicals, triclosan is included in detergents, dish soaps, laundry soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, and toothpastes and mouthwashes. In 1998, Americans snatched up $540 million of these products, without proof that they even do what they claim.

But, is triclosan safe? The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. The USP recently proposed a new monograph for the specific testing of triclosan. It is a chlorinated aromatic, similar in molecular structure and chemical formula to some of the most toxic chemicals on earth: dioxins, PCB’s, and Agent Orange. Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects in the parts per trillion (one drop in 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools!). Hormone disruptors pose enormous long-term chronic health risks, because they interfere with the way hormones perform (such as changing genetic material, or fostering birth defects).

Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Externally, it can cause skin irritations, but since "….phenols can temporarily deactivate the sensory nerve endings….contact with [triclosan] often causes little or no pain". "Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, convulsions, coma, and even death". Stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and can cause paralysis, sterility, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhage, decreased fertility and sexual function, heart problems, and coma."

Employing a strong antibiotic agent such as triclosan for everyday use is of questionable value, as it takes a shotgun approach to killing all microscopic organisms while also destroying the beneficial bacteria in the environment and in our bodies. These friendly bacteria cause no harm, and often produce beneficial effects, such as aiding metabolism and inhibiting the invasion of the harmful pathogens.

Boston-based microbiologist Laura McMurray and colleagues at the Tufts University School of Medicine, say that "triclosan is capable of forcing the emergency of ‘superbugs’ that it cannot kill. Experiments have shown that it may not be the all-out germ killer that scientists once thought it was….using triclosan daily in the home, in products ranging from children’s soaps to toothpaste to ‘germ-free’ cutting boards, may be unwise. In "New Products Feared Breeding Tougher Germs", J.B. Verrengia says "Public health officials have blamed the indiscriminate prescription of antibiotics for the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. The Tufts study suggests the recent widespread use of antibacterial agents in everyday products might have similar results". Doctors say that washing your hands with soap and water is the best preventative, and some doctors admit that including triclosan in the soap is an additional, unjustified expense; plain soap does just as well.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

Do a Google search for "Triclosan dioxin contamination". (Don't use the quotes.)


DisFlan

THANKS, DisFlan [sorry I haven't replied sooner] for the Google string. It came up with additional interesting info than just the Triclosan search I tried. I'm convinced...why spend more $$$ for stuff that's harmful...I won't make that mistake again. Also picked up other interesting info from that string.

Btw, for those who are interested Colgate Total toothpaste is one of those products with Triclosan which has not been taken off the market.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

I have to say, I don't clean my room because I think I will "catch" something, it is more of a "I don't want other people's stuff on my hands" type of thing. I mean, if you could actually *see* fecal matter on the flush handle, you would clean it, right? Well, I can almost guarantee it is there, so I clean it! As for the parks, sure you are exposed to stuff there, but you are in public and expect that, and are probably more vigilant about hand washing and not touching your face, etc. In a hotel room, you want to feel "at home" and not have to be so "on guard". Thus, I do a quick wipe-down of the areas I think could have the most "stuff" on them. My house is a complete pig stye at all times, so I am definitely not a clean freak, I just want to be able to relax in my hotel room without the previous guest's fecal matter on my hands!!

Oh, and the reason I don't walk barefoot on the carpet: don't want nail fungus!! I let my kids and Dh do it because I don't want the kids growing up worrying about the little stuff and I figure the risk is very small, but I just can't bring myself to do it!

CanBeGrumpy: Congrats on the long running thread! By now, you've gotten both sides of the coin & every opinion in between [if that makes sense? ], so...

If cleaning makes you happier & more relaxed, than I say...Whatever gets you through the night...go for it.

 

[DisFlan]

THANKS, DisFlan [sorry I haven't replied sooner] for the Google string. It came up with additional interesting info than just the Triclosan search I tried. I'm convinced...why spend more $$$ for stuff that's harmful...I won't make that mistake again. Also picked up other interesting info from that string.

Btw, for those who are interested Colgate Total toothpaste is one of those products with Triclosan which has not been taken off the market.

Look for Ivory liquid hand soap (not the antibacterial form). It comes in the nice little dispenser squirt bottles and it just has SOAP in it. It also smells nice!

For bar soap, regular Zest is nice. Again, not the Zest lablelled as antibacterial. Or look for good old Ivory in the bar.

In the kitchen I use regular Dawn. The ads are right. It does cut grease well and it works in our hard water.

For bathrooms, I use Comet bathroom cleaner. It cleans bathroom gunk well and it'll disinfect if you follow directions, but its active ingredient is citric acid.

For general cleaning, I'm still using the non-poluting standby, Simple Green. It does just about anything you want - from the charcoal grill to windows - depending on how you dilute it. A big bottle of concentrate lasts just about forever. And it WORKS.

Happy cleaning! (And save money.)

DisFlan

 

[pw2pp]

No I haven't and I have never gotten sick from a Hotel either and have stayed at TONS of Hotels. Although 3 star is the absolute lowest level I stay at.
Sorry to say it but I think that behavior sounds weird..... a little "Michael Jacksonish"