Hotel cleanliness..eew!

[twinmomplus2]

I chose to delete the other post, It did not sound very nice!

 

[pmcpmc]

However haven't visited America for thirty years I've found for us it has been better than the Hotels from hell in Spain

 

[twinmomplus2]

No offense taken, I agree It certainly must be better than Spain. My Cousin Went to Ibiza. And said it was very DIRTY!!!!

 

[chamonix]

How do you keep the mousekeepers from putting the dirty bedspread back on the bed? Do you leave a note? The first thing we do at any hotel is take the spread off and usually leave it in a heap in a remote corner, or the floor of the closet. (I also use a bleach wipe on all surfaces we will touch--door handles, phone, remote, faucets, etc.) Every time, every day, the housekeepers replace the spread. Yuck. I just don't even want it on there at all if they are not going to wash it. Should I leave a note, or what kind of sign is the universal symbol for "yuck, don't put that back on my bed"?
I would prefer that they don't even make the beds, to be honest. I would rather do that myself. I want them to vacuum, and replace towels, (ok, a towel animal would be OK too, LOL) and take out garbage--that's it. How to communicate that, without being insulting?

 

[twinmomplus2]

DVC the mousekeepers are not in every day, So thats ok. At Akl I have yet to have them put the spread back on. I usually hang it on the back of a chair. Or folded in the bottem of the closet.

 

[Barbruka]

Folks, you can request a clean spread for your visit. Just tell them you have severe allergies, and the spread has to be newly laundered. They will do it no problem.

 

[Jeanny]

Originally posted by Barbruka
Folks, you can request a clean spread for your visit. Just tell them you have severe allergies, and the spread has to be newly laundered. They will do it no problem.

aahh, but how do you know it's newly laundered?? they could have just taken it from the closet or from another room...

 

[Memaw2Wm]

And never mind about the recycled air on airplanes!! [/B]

Had to laugh at this ... my daughter hates to fly and one of your complaints before we flew to Disney this summer was the recycled air on airplanes.

She a "germ-freak" scrubs her hands like a surgeon would a dozen times a day ... in the winter they are cracked, bleeding and plain gross to look at. And this is the child that used to pick up everything she saw on the ground and pop it in her mouth ... since the germs didn't kill her back then (and she was a very healthy kid) I doubt they'll do her in now.

Of course I do believe you should wash your hands several times a day ... I'm just not one to go nuts about germs ...

 

[PaintedStuff]

<p><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#006699"> I wouldn't wash their blankets and bedspreads in the washing machines. First, they probably wouldn't even fit in the machines. Second, the blankets may be the sort that are dry cleaned.<br>
If you take the bedspread off and put it in the closet, the housekeeping staff usually gets the idea you don't want it around.<br>
I suggest you ask for some extra flat sheets and use those to sandwich the blanket. I'm sure that the WDW mousekeeping keeps things pretty clean - I'm not concerned. You can get sicker from touching all the handrails in the parks or the aforementioned bathroom doorknobs.<br>
I have to share a different annoyance. I was on an airplane and the woman in the row in front of me started spraying Lysol into the air circulation nozzles above her seat and her husband's seat. I thought I'd gag - there's no place for the Lysol to go. It may smell sort of fresh when cleaning your bathroom at home but you don't sit there inhaling it for the next hour. It was disgusting. </font>
</p>

 

[chamonix]

You can get sicker from touching all the handrails in the parks or the aforementioned bathroom doorknobs.

Oh, I know! .....and that is why I never (NEVER!) touch those either!! I rarely touch my face when in public, and never lean on counters or railings, or set my purse down on them. I also wash my hands again AFTER touching the buffet serving utensils before I eat. I know it starts to sound obsessive, but I think it's just smart--it's not like we don't know where the germs are. All the things I do to avoid getting sick, I just think of as cultivated good habits.

 

[Nette]

On the other hand, there is that study about houses that are "too clean" and the kids that live in them... those kids, the ones who are never exposed to dirt, germs or allergens generally grow up to be more sickly.

Don't get me wrong, daily bathing and frequent handwashing are definitely a part of our routine (especially w/ a 14 month old), but getting obsessive about it might just make things worse in the long run.

After 6 trips to WDW, we have never gotten sick from the things in the rooms. The sheets always smell freshly bleached and are quite crisp, so I'm pretty confident that they are clean. If there are no water spots on your sink, tub, faucets, etc, You can probably safely assume that they have been cleaned, too.

Remember that over use of anti-bacterial products is making stronger bacterium. Plain old soap and hot water will clean your hands just as well as anti-bacterial soap provided you scrub long enough. The only time we ever use anti-bacterial anything is if we need to clean our hands on the go, then we will use a tiny dab of Purell.

As for the grossness of McDonald's bathrooms, well, their food is gross, so why wouldn't their bathrooms be?

 

[chamonix]

On the other hand, there is that study about houses that are "too clean"

Believe me, that would NOT be MY house! LOL!!

Remember that over use of anti-bacterial products is making stronger bacterium. Plain old soap and hot water will clean your hands just as well as anti-bacterial soap provided you scrub long enough. The only time we ever use anti-bacterial anything is if we need to clean our hands on the go, then we will use a tiny dab of Purell.

Yes, I agree. I never use antibacterial soaps at home, only "on the go" as you do. I am concerned about germs when traveling more so than everyday, since I wouldn't want to spoil or waste any of our vacation time with being sick. At home, we are just average clean, definitely not obsessive, and we buy no antibacterial cleaning products. (in fact, we use exclusively non-chemical non-toxic all natural ones) You're right, they do the job as well as the "fancy" chemical antibacterial stuff. (for example, Purell is just fancied up ethyl rubbing alcohol) The things I would be concerned about cleaning in a hotel room wouldn't be so much the things you mentioned, but the things a housekeeper might not do regularly--the doorknobs, the remote, the lightswitches, that kind of thing. I think the faucets and sheets are probably clean. Things do get missed though.

Oh, and I definitely agree with you about mcdonald's gross food!!

 

[lilsonicfan]

You're right, they do the job as well as the "fancy" chemical antibacterial stuff. (for example, Purell is just fancied up ethyl rubbing alcohol)

As a former microbiologist... I think that most of the hand sanitizers you use are fine in terms of not being harmfully antibacterial.. they are mostly alcohol, which won't cause bacteria to become resistant the way an antibiotic might, for example. I'm glad that someone mentioned bacteria becoming stronger by using more antibacterial products!

And as a side note: you could do a swab on your hands now and plate it out - and you would probably see lots of bacteria. If you went and washed your hands and then did a swab and plated it out - you'd probably see even MORE bacteria. It's your normal flora!... not all bacteria is bad.

 

[Sammy]

Ok....now, I'm not trying to diminish the importance of clean sleeping arrangements, or bathrooms, BUT........the people who say they never touch a (public) toilet handle or faucet.....or any of the handrails in WDW, how do you get through a whole day at Disney or any other public outing? I'm not being sarcastic by any means, but everything you touch.....any I mean EVERYTHING....has been touched by other people. Display racks at a clothing store, cans on a grocery store shelf (the handle on the shopping carts!!), merchandise displays in a WDW gift shop, the cars at any WDW ride, and how about your paper money and coins?? Who knows how many hands your money has gone through.

DH and I, along with our kids, always try to practice good handwashing and do use the gels like Purell when needed, but
I just think it needs to kept in perspective....JMHO.

Sammy

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

bump

 

[Fooboy]

lysol and raid
imagine the nests of dust mites that we sleep with everynight. ugh. im staying home....

foobs

 

[rauchfamily3]

OK, gotta ask, what's with sandwiching the bedspread between sheets? (not being sarcastic, honestly wondering) And I'm a total germaphobe , I never should have opened this thread.. LOL But lysol wipes and such are on my packing list, BUT I usually have a ziplock baggie of those in my diaper bag for wiping off resturaunt tables and highchairs before putting DS in them! And I always carry purel with me to do a quick germ kill on the hands where ever we are. I'm a freak about it, but I also have a weakened immune system and a toddler who seems to be getting sick alot lately, so I don't take any chances!! I already hate staying at hotels and using the sheets and towels there.. it grosses me out completely!! I will be bringing our own pillows (only b/c I sleep with down pillows, hate regular ones.. lol) but the sheets and bedspreads always gross me out. I am glad that I didn't see the show about the germs though.. that would have made me an even worse germaphobe!!! LOL