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

[MUFFYCAT]

Heck no. I barely "sanitize" my home.

Same here. I figure at 45 I survived this far with no problem, why start now?

 

[babybunrab]

I know a biologist (a Ph.d. who works in a drug lab and grows many nasty, icky things we won't talk about) who feels that anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners are really, really bad because they kill off only the weakest bacteria, leaving the strong ones to breed, creating more resistant germs.

The other thing to consider is that viruses and such can't live that long (no, I don't remember how long, but I do know it varies by the 'bug') outside the human body, so stuff on surfaces of items might not last to infect the next guests in a room. IMHO, I don't believe the odds of 'catching' something just aren't all that high, so...

I will continue to walk barefoot and use the remote in my hotel room, though others, of course, should do as they see fit.

 

[mlwear]

My 2.5yo is a barefoot kind of gal too, and she does occasionally lick the bottoms of her feet. Thinks it's absolutely hilarious.

Will the airlines let you check a steam cleaner? And will DME deliver it to your room?

 

[kkaisu]

I barely sanitize my home also - not filthy, but not spotless, they are my families germs. At hotels I do however give the sheets a good inspection, wear socks, and do not use hotel comforters. I do not go as far as using lysol, after reading this thinking it might be a good idea haha.

 

[mickeymousemom]

We normally never worry about this kind of stuff and we have all survived. I do, however, think about the remote once we get in the room but I never do anything about it. On our October trip I will do no more than check for bedbugs as best I can, and maybe spray/wipe off the remote, toilet, and the flusher. I,too, am a barefoot kind of gal and would never wear shoes if I could get away with it. We all go barefoot in the room and we NEVER lick the bottoms of our feet !

 

[WeluvDisney2]

I think the parks would have alot more germs around than the hotels... Just about everyone must use the park bathrooms at some time or another. I would be more concerned about that than the resort rooms.

 

[DisFlan]

Here's a reply on the questions I asked of the clean-o-holics. I've gotten quite a few PMs about it. What I'm getting is that most of you FEEL the room needs cleaning, not that it actually needs it. You don't KNOW that it needs it. It's a matter of perception, not reality.

I have an MS in Microbiolgy. My field is clinical microbiology (which includes all the stuff you're talking about here). I've done research and field testing for the company that makes Lysol. I've done studies on communicable diseases (including one on toilet seats in hotels and public restrooms). My sister has a PhD in the genetics of microbes. She's an internationally recognized researcher in her field and has won a number of awards for her work. We KNOW how germs work and what kills them. We know what needs to be controlled - and what doesn't. When reporters come to experts to write articles or film TV spots about hotel rooms and kitchen problems, WE are among the experts they go to.

My sister and I often talk about this need in people to "sanitize" their surrounding. We chuckle about people who go around blowing Lysol everywhere and going nuts with wipes or bleach. It's usually a phobia in the people, not a problem in the environment. It can also be dangerous. An over-sanitized home or living area can lead to children with lowered immune systems. It causes an increased number of asthmatic children. It creates children who themselves grow up to be phobics about germs. It promotes super-germs. And most of these cleaners, sprays etc. are toxic to kids. They often don't clean as well as you think they do, and most of you don't use them properly to start with because you don't understand how they work. A "wipe down" doesn't cut it and a squirt of "hand sanitizer" isn't even close to a replacement for handwashing.

Don't worry about kids chewing on furniture or licking their feet, the remote or the floor. ALL small children do this - and worse. Kids are basically "micro-slums". They handle normal environmental microbes better than you can imagine. If they didn't, our species would have died out long ago.

As anyone in our field will tell you, the BEST weapons you have are good old soap and water. Period. Use them before and after going to the bathroom or eating. Don't put your fingers in your mouth or eyes. That's it. Basic hygiene. Yes, it IS that simple. I'll repeat this - SOAP and WATER.

I know a lot of you will continue with the Lysol, bleach and wipes routine - because it makes you FEEL better, not because it actually protects you. (It also makes a lot of money for the people who make this stuff.) I can't change your phobias. But please consider what you are doing to yourselves, your families and the community as a whole.


DisFlan

 

[VSL]

Well said, DisFlan!

 

[WHIT1]

So do you "supercleaners" wipe down restaurant seats, armrests/bars/handles on rides or other places 10's of thousands of people touch in one day?

i am so tempted to do that because everywhere i go the br's are so gross.i went to buy a mattress at this store and had to use the br. there were nats coming out of the toilet and the crude. i doubt it has been cleaned for ages. sorry but my squat and pee days are over and my aim is even worse. i need to sit. so i will be carrying the lysols wipes now.

 

[mickeymousemom]

DisFlan...I couldn't have said it better myself...and the only reason I was going to take cleaner on this vacation was because this thread was creeping me out. Thanks to your post, I won't worry about it. I never have before, and its nice to knowI don't need to.

 

[dcgrumpy]

-healthy as a cow sister, checked in tired and did not bother to sight see changed clothes went to the bathroom wash face brush teeth... mind you she drove straight from house to hotel.... woke up clammy feeling experiencing cramping and LVM... cut the trip short came back home went to hosp.. positive with e coli

I always thought that e coli took 3 or more days for symptoms to show

 

[DisneyFans4]

Well said DisFlan---take it from somebody that knows!!

 

[freakylick]

I never leave home without my bubble. That's right folks...The only way to prevent myself from getting germs is to live in my bubble. You people are crazy if you think that a little lysol will save you. PLEASE, PLEASE, I urge to do more!!! Get yourself a bubble..they are expensive, but it will be the best money you ever spent.

 

[Tara]

-would you touch someone's spit, nose boogie, ear wax, blood spill, fecal matter?

(I'm not picking on you -- your question just got me thinking.)

Knowingly, no, I wouldn't touch those things. But the truth is we all do it all the time. I recall seeing Oprah a long time ago where a scientist swab tested a number of surfaces of the type we come in contact with every day. Of them, the one with the highest levels of fecal matter found was a grocery cart handle. I'm guessing that most people don't santize the grocery cart handle or wear gloves when they go shopping. Think about that...fecal matter on the cart handle, someone pushes their cart around, picks up products, puts them back down, opens the doors in the freezer section, etc. Talk about your vectors...

Sure, the idea of nasty hotel rooms skeeves me out a bit. But probably more germ ridden are my coworkers' desks and keyboards. Or just about everything in an airport -- studies show only about 1/3 of people wash their hands after using the restroom, so think about all the people passing through MCO on any given day and all the germs they leave in their wake -- on magazines, airplane seat armrests and tray tables, etc. Blech.

Best thing to do is wash your hands frequently with soap and water. And don't do a quick rub and rinse -- you should wash long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" two times.

 

[BrianMonk]

We stayed at a Holiday Inn years ago and when we pulled down the blankets, there was shredded cheese on the sheets!

Wow, lucky you. A free meal thrown in with the room. I never thought of Holiday Inn as being so generous.

DisFlan - This is an emotional issue, not one based on science. You're fighting a losing battle.

Lastly - 5 ,10, 20 years from now, Today and 20/20 etc... will be reporting on how these superbugs have been growing in numbers. And they'll be reporting on people having medical problems with exposures to cleaning chemicals. Book it.

 

[phillybeth]

And most of these cleaners, sprays etc. are toxic to kids. They often don't clean as well as you think they do, and most of you don't use them properly to start with because you don't understand how they work. A "wipe down" doesn't cut it and a squirt of "hand sanitizer" isn't even close to a replacement for handwashing.

Yup! I was taught in micro and genetics that a surface has to stay WET with a 10% bleach solution for 10 minutes to kill any germies. Most household cleaning doesn't even come close to that.
And 2 minutes with hot water and soap for handwahing. Most people actively wash their hands for less than 30 seconds.

 

[phillybeth]

OK - This does totally freak me out!

Any other tips on what to look for? Any fool-proof plan? Is there anything we can bring w/ us to spray before going to bed? It sounds like fresh sheets won't make a bit of difference

Pull back the comforter and the sheets- look top and bottom for blood streaks or reddish-brown flakes. Take the sheets off the mattress, look at the mattress pad for the same things. Take the pad off the mattress and check the mattress. Check the bedframe, the nightstand, and the wall and floor near the bed for blood smears or flakes. Check inside the dresser drawers before you unpack.
If you're REALLY paranoid, take a small flashlight and shine it in the cracks of the bedframe, the headboard, the baseboards, and the underside of the nightstand- look sfor smears, flakes, or anything moving when the light shines on it.
There is no OTC spray or powder that will kill an active infestation of bedbugs. It takes professional strength stuff. If you see any insects, blood smears or flakes leave the room, take all your belongings with you, and call the front desk. Under no circumstances let them try to put you back in the same room. It can take days to weeks to kill all the bugs. A quick spray from maintenance only makes them laugh at you

 

[Lisa P.]

I don't want to sit on a toilet that big Harvey just sat on, but the maid didn't clean because it "looked" clean.

I don't get this logic... do you worry over sitting on a public restroom toilet after a hundred Harveys or Harriets - if it looks pretty clean? I mean, you can use a tissue seat covering but you're not washing out the bowl beforehand. Or are you?

If you've been fine after using public restrooms all these years, why not relax about using a clean-looking hotel room toilet? DisFlan is so right... this is more an emotional issue, not clinical/logical.

We also put our toothbrushes in the safe when we leave the room.

Oh my goodness, you poor dear, what is this about?!??

you have the best view in town over looking the city you're in but if there's blood stain you'll remember the stain...

It's reasonable to "look before you leap" - I think most people do that.
Avoid touching whatever doesn't look clean.
Have housekeeping rectify an observed cleanliness problem.
Wash hands with soap, friction & running water after using the bathroom and before eating.
Use a paper towel to turn off spigots & open the exit door(s) when possible.

If someone has a depressed immune system (infants, elderly, sickly, etc.), it warrants special care. But we're healthy so this RN of 22 years does not give this stuff more thought than the basic precautions above.

Remember that today's media is profit-driven. They really bombard us with every awful thing that can and does happen to a minority of people around the world while ignoring the majority of people who are not suffering these ills for most of their entire lives. The media fuels our fears and makes us edgy and leery. Vacations are for relaxing - and that helps build the immune system! Millions of people travel and do NOT get ill from a hotel room or a bathroom - especially where it looks quite clean (most germs don't survive drying fully on a hard surface).

 

[Lisa P.]

person I worked it, got scraped at corner of a hotel room... end of the week came home went straight to work.. we cultured it it was strep..

Strep bacteria is commonly found on the skin. Wounds become infected. Common household surfaces are not considered a significant transmission source. The germs could even have been passed from his own hand to the wound anytime that week - incubation is usually 1-3 days. Unlikely that he got this from his hotel room.

healthy as a cow sister, checked in tired.... woke up clammy feeling experiencing cramping and LVM... cut the trip short came back home went to hosp.. positive with e coli

This kind of infection is usually transmitted by eating contaminated food or by swimming in contaminated pool water (improper chlorination). The incubation period (time from exposure to symptoms) is usually 2-10 days. Most likely, your sister was exposed to the E. Coli before she left home for her hotel.

Hope you'll consider your hotel room a little less risky place to relax.

 

[maxaroni]

Our biggest debate at our house is if staying in a rental condo, do you wash the dishes before you use them? My dh thinks I'm a nut, but I wash everything first.

We do this.....I just don't trust the people before us, sorry.