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

[mlwear]

My kids' school depends heavily on hand sanitizer. I don't know if the kids ever get a chance to wash their hands with soap and water, just use the hand sanitizer. I know before lunch they do not wash just a squirt of sanitizer (I have wanted to complain, but DH thinks it would be obnoxious). DS's hands always are filthy when he comes home from school. I mean visibly brown recess dirty.

 

[momof2disprincesses]

My kids' school depends heavily on hand sanitizer. I don't know if the kids ever get a chance to wash their hands with soap and water, just use the hand sanitizer. I know before lunch they do not wash just a squirt of sanitizer (I have wanted to complain, but DH thinks it would be obnoxious). DS's hands always are filthy when he comes home from school. I mean visibly brown recess dirty.

My DD's school does that too! Those dispensers are everywhere, which is nice to an extent, but I agree it sort of sends the message "you don't have to actually wash your hands."

 

[pamouselover]

Are you allowed to take lysol spray cans on the air plane with you still since 9/11
I used to found those small sample cans that were perfect for travel.
Have not seen them in a long time.

 

[DW mouser]

HUGH? Hospitals allow very little cleaning? I was a housekeeping supervisor for 15 years and we did alot of cleaning everyday, all day long!! Walls were washed on a frequent schedule too! 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. Don't believe everything you see on TV!! They like to scare people!! They say a lot of people are having problems from not building up an immunity to things from too much cleaniness! When I think of how little we as kids washed our hands when playing ouside--Yuck!!! Back in the good old days, and none of us 5 kids have ever had any problems from it!!! I heard some company's quit making antibacterial dish soap just because of that! People are getting too germ consious!!

 

[LoveWDW]

Hand sanitizers in a hospital setting have been found to give good "transient" control between hand washings, but not a replacement for washing. For these products to work properly for bacterial control, hands need to be free of dirt and organic matter PRIOR to use. Keep in mind, this was determined in a fairly controlled environment. If you handle a patient who presents a potential pathogenic contact or end up with anything you can see or feel on your hands, your best bet is to wash.

Out in the real world, most people (especially kids), rarely, if ever, have hands free of dirt or organic matter for more than a very short time. A squirt of sanitizer smushed around on dirty kid-hands is NOT a replacement for washing, even though it may remove sticky stuff and make hands feel cleaner (which can be handy on its own). If you have dirty hands, sanitizer may be okay for a quick clean up, but it doesn't replace hand washing.

The best example I can think of is after using the bathroom - where you would logically end up with "organic matter" on your hands - WASH with soap and water, don't just depend on hand sanitizer. Or for the germophobes - use both.


DisFlan

Thank you. I think that this is an important post. What do you think about sitting down in a restaurant and using a hand sanitizer, instead of washing hands (being careful after washing to use precautions about not touching the door with hands, etc.)? I see people using the sanitizer as a washing replacement. I assume that their hands don't have visible dirt on them when they sit down.

 

[jarestel]

We don't re-clean the rooms. If they need attention, we'll call housekeeping to do it for us, but that's as far as it goes. We don't worry much about catching nasty germs or we wouldn't go to a place like WDW in the first place. However, if it makes you feel better to do it, by all means do it. It's your vacation.

 

[Belle♪♪♪]

Are you allowed to take lysol spray cans on the air plane with you still since 9/11
I used to found those small sample cans that were perfect for travel.
Have not seen them in a long time.

Good question I would like to know that too.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Are you allowed to take lysol spray cans on the air plane with you still since 9/11
I used to found those small sample cans that were perfect for travel.
Have not seen them in a long time.

"NO aerosol except for personal care items/toiletries in limited quantities" Since they don't say a specific limit, just "limited" I imagine that means 2-3 would be ok, but any more wouldn't be permitted.

Here's where I got this:
http://www.home.ix.netcom.com/~speaker7/lists/bannedfromplanes.htm

aw:

 

[jlowejd5]

I've read the majority of this thread, and it makes me sad. Excluding people with actual medical condiitons, I think there are some really well-meaning people who have been duped by sweeps-month media reports about how every surface in the world is teeming with plague.

My brothers and I are 31, 25, and 22, and probably haven't been SICK-sick more than three weeks combined. Why? Awesome immune systems, developed all through our youth by playing in dirt, with bugs, and generally just being kids. I know not everybody has had that opportunity, and that makes me sad.

But the science is conclusive. If someone spends 24 hours a day sanitizing everything and trying to live in a bubble, they will be sicker than those of us who are content to live in filth.

Yes, I pull the comforter off the bed when it's time to sleep, but that's because it's Florida in the summertime, and about the last thing I want is a heavy blankie. I don't think I'd know what to say to someone if I walked into their hotel room and the remote was in a Ziploc bag. Nothing personal, I just don't think I could live my life in fear of germs or bugs or whatever.

You get what you get.

 

[deltachi8]

i unpack if im lucky.

i figure the only germs i would kill are the real lazy ones that are hanging out in the obvios places - too lazy to hide, so too lazy to get me sick.

To each there own, do what floats your boat, if the poop deck is clean that is.

 

[Nuts4Disney]

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

I'm curious...

I'm not looking to offend or flame anyone, or hijack this thread [apologies to the OP]...but I am genuinely curious since it's already been brought up...

My question is for those DISers who posted that products like Lysol, bleach, antibacterial wipes, etc. are basically the marketers exploiting our germ phobias.

What products do you clean your homes with? And what do you launder your clothes with?

Thank in advance.

 

[DisFlan]

What products do you clean your homes with? And what do you launder your clothes with?

I use plain old soap and water for a lot of it. I use Tide Cold Water for clothes (it cleans well). I use bathroom cleaner - for hardwater and soap scum, not for germ killing. And I use as little as possible. When I have the time, I use white vinegar, but it takes longer.

I never use Lysol at home. The only thing I use bleach for is my kitchen sink. About every three months, I clean the sink, garbage grinder and drain area to disinfect. I don't use much. Other than that, I keep it clean and free of debris with soap and water.

I replace my kitchen sponge every week and I put it in the dishwasher when I run it. I wash the cabinets, counters and stove top with soap and water, rinse well and dry with paper towels. (Drying alone cures a lot of kitchen problems.)

I use soap and water and a squeegy on windows.

That's about it. It's low tech, but effective.


DisFlan

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

I'm curious...

I'm not looking to offend or flame anyone, or hijack this thread [apologies to the OP]...but I am genuinely curious since it's already been brought up...

My question is for those DISers who posted that products like Lysol, bleach, antibacterial wipes, etc. are basically the marketers exploiting our germ phobias.

What products do you clean your homes with? And what do you launder your clothes with?

Thank in advance.

I love the clorox wipes- they're handy for touch up, everyday cleaning. I also love my swiffer!

I have a small supply of white tea Caldrea products, (all purpose cleaner, dish soap, stain remover, laundry detergent) plus their lavender-pine countertop cleanser. They are a combo aromatherapy and cleaning products. I am very into aromatherapy and holistic health so I love them!

I also use things like distilled white vinegar (good for the bathroom, cleaning the coffee pot system, etc.) baking soda (a good abrasive scrub with a little water) and borax (cleans toilets and floors) My dad knows all the little household hints, so that helps!

Sometimes I use orange oil cleanser. I use pure alcohol to clean mirrors.

For laundry, I use my Caldrea detergent (white tea), or the new (I think it's cheer?) "dark" for all my black pants ( I own 9 pairs of black pants, including capris, I wear them 4-5 days a week to work). I currently use the lavender vanilla Simple Pleasures ( I think it's by Downy?) fabric softener, but want to order some more Caldrea.

 

[Lisa P.]

What products do you clean your homes with? And what do you launder your clothes with?

For the house: Diluted bleach, soapy washrags (& rinse well), bathtub & toilet bowl disinfectants, windex/ammonia, orange oil, lemon juice & vinegar (to get rid of scent trails from sugar ants - I live in the south), whatever brand name dish/dishwasher soap's on sale. That's about it.

For the laundry: Laundry detergent in cold water (for colors) or warm water (for whites). Dryer on hot cycle w/half of a dryer sheet for softness.

If any of us have been around someone very sick or if there's been exposure to potentially very hearty germs (ex., hospital visits, health care work, etc.), then the laundry water is hot and chlorine bleach is added. These are basic cleaning matters for generally healthy people.

The reason I think it's extreme to re-clean a clean-looking hotel room is that the purpose (aesthetics aside) of all this cleaning is to avoid transmission of sickness in the event that prior occupants were carriers of transmissible disease. Frankly, housekeeping at hotels is not supposed to create a sterile environment for performing surgery! So I don't worry about whether the housekeeper "missed a spot" (oops!) - I know that they did and that's okay. Really.

The vast majority of the traveling public are not going to make other healthy people sick. While it may not be desirable to be exposed to other "uncleanness," I will not worry about getting sick from touching it. In fact, if we're honest about it, we all touch it every day when we handle money, use the ATM machine or phone, shake hands with and hug other people, say "bless you" to the nearby person who just coughed or sneezed, open a door, go through a normal day amongst regular people. Routine hygiene takes care of it.

As an RN, a great awareness of the "germ world" (that co-exists with me daily and always has) does not rob me of a single minute of peace of mind while enjoying the company of my loved ones as we travel. This does not change as we enter a hotel room. For that matter, it doesn't change when I visit a friend's home and enjoy their company and may even use their bathroom or eat at their table! I don't need to clean their commode before using it either, whether I know their health history or not.

 

[phillybeth]

I use general cleaning products- windex, Pledge, etc. I absolutely avoid ANYTHING labeled anti-bacterial, as I try not to contribute to the creation of superbugs. I don't have a dishwasher so I use regular dish detergent. I rarely use regular bleach in my laundry, sometimes Clorox II but only for stain removal. Regular laundry detergent, usually Purex or Xtra (cheap!).
For dog accidents or 'protein spills', I use an enzyme based cleaner.
I do keep a small bottle of Purell in my purse, not as an alternative to handwashing but just because I hate that sticky/sweaty hand feeling.

 

[BurkeTribe]

At the start of any hotel stay anywhere, we usually just look the room over for any obvious grossouts, and then we remove the comforters (because who knows how many weeks/months they've gone unwashed).

Worst I've ever been in anywhere was a "budget" no-name motel in downtown Birmingham-- can't beat bloody towels under the bed. Don't even want to imagine what was staining the multi-colored shag carpet. Ahhh, college road trip memories

 

[DW mouser]

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

 

[bdcp]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but short of licking a newly contaminated bedspread, you're not likely to catch anything in a hotel room. It's fresh microbes that get you, not those things that have dried stains on them. I mentioned earlier that any microbes dried on a hard surface are harmless. I think we've created a generation of phobic children as far as germs are concerned. My 2DS (19 and 21) were never in daycare because I was home with them, but they played with plenty of other children (moms' groups, playground, etc) and have rarely been sick. I never stopped them from playing in dirt or anything that wasn't physically dangerous and they are very, very healthy college students. I don't think either has missed more than 1 day of classes. I think some parents need to pay more attention to bicycle helmets, skateboards, trampolines, ATV's and playing in the streets and less attention to dirt as far as their kids are concerned. I also clean my house when it looks like it needs it. Only use bleach to kill mildew. Swiffer dust, vacuum and mop when really necessary. We have no allergies, asthma and very, very rarely sick. We also keep our heat at about 68 in the winter since most viruses can't live for long at that temp. Warm homes cause more illness than dirty doorknobs. You need to be more careful of people sneezing on you in the parks than your hotel room. My DH travels quite a bit for work and between airplanes, rental cars (think steering wheels) and hotel rooms, he's hardly ever sick.

 

[DW mouser]

Don't worry so much about germs!! 2 weeks ago when my 6 year old grandaughter came to stay with me for a week I actually made her a mud puddle to play in in my garden!! Her mother never wants her to get dirty and she was horrified at the pictures grandpa took of her daughter all covered in mud!! ROFL!!! We had the best time, making mud pies and spraying each other with water!! Those are the memories she will have when I'm gone and she did not get sick!!

I always wonder how 5 of us kids grew up on a farm and played outside with all kinds of farm animals and never got ecoli or any of the other stuff everyone is so worried about!! I've been around cattle all my life and had cow **** fly in my mouth when working them!! I'm 58 and I have never been very sick! My husband is 59 and never even once been to see a doctor in his life except for insurance physicals. Oh yeah, I've also been splattered with blood from dehorning cattle!!

 

[csaribay]

A quick wipe down of bathroom surfaces with some Clorox wipes and we're good to go. Perhaps a quick spray of Lysol, but otherwise, Hotels we've generally stayed at have been fairly clean.