Inspired... Not washing blankets at resorts??

[ryan840]

It was brought up in another thread I started that the blankets in the resorts are not washed regularly!! I don't understand how this can be, isn't it a health issue? I mean, they have nooo idea what people have done to those blankets, I don't even want to think about it... Not to mention how quickly lice and other creepy things could spread... Please, please, puh-lease, someone tell me they have to wash them regularly!! It's like wearing a total strangers underwear, that were worn by someone before him, and someone before him!!

 

[Tigger113]

YUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mommytutu]

I'm thinking sheets and pillowcases are changed daily...if you want it, but the comforters and such are washed only monthly. I would think you could call room service when you get there and request a complete bedding change. I guess you could say it just grosses you out or you could blame it on the kids. Say they were excited and bouncing around and spilled something or say one of them had an "accident". And leave an extra tip for the extra service.

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

I've worked at 3 different hotels, 2 of them 5 star hotels but I will not mention names on here b/c I don't think it is allowed. But that is true. Comforters are NOT washed between visits by different guests, the only thing washed between visits are the sheets. Comforters get washed on a "schedule" which winds up being about once every month to 3 months for the more expensive hotels. I always get grossed out when people just sit on the comforters b/c you are right, it SHOULD be a health issue but that is a scary practice, along with the cleaning of bathrooms as well. Many hotel chains have their housekeepers only use ONE pair of gloves each day b/w cleaning differnt toilets and guess what? Hepatitis B is viable for up to 2 weeks on a plastic surface, so it can scrape up onto the housekeepers glove from one room and get put into another room. I actually reported a hotel I worked at for this (again not saying the name) b/c they only gave us ONE pair of yellow gloves for our entire working time there. It was insanity and I always made sure to spray my gloves with bleach that I had to bring to work on my own b/w room cleanings. However, most people will not do that on their own. Try to spill something on your comforter and ask to have a new one on your first stay at the resort, then they HAVE to bring you a freshly cleaned one.

 

[ryan840]

I desperately want someone to tell me that they have to wash them after each guest. (and mean it)

 

[ryan840]

I've worked at 3 different hotels, 2 of them 5 star hotels but I will not mention names on here b/c I don't think it is allowed. But that is true. Comforters are NOT washed between visits by different guests, the only thing washed between visits are the sheets. Comforters get washed on a "schedule" which winds up being about once every month to 3 months for the more expensive hotels. I always get grossed out when people just sit on the comforters b/c you are right, it SHOULD be a health issue but that is a scary practice, along with the cleaning of bathrooms as well. Many hotel chains have their housekeepers only use ONE pair of gloves each day b/w cleaning differnt toilets and guess what? Hepatitis B is viable for up to 2 weeks on a plastic surface, so it can scrape up onto the housekeepers glove from one room and get put into another room. I actually reported a hotel I worked at for this (again not saying the name) b/c they only gave us ONE pair of yellow gloves for our entire working time there. It was insanity and I always made sure to spray my gloves with bleach that I had to bring to work on my own b/w room cleanings. However, most people will not do that on their own. Try to spill something on your comforter and ask to have a new one on your first stay at the resort, then they HAVE to bring you a freshly cleaned one.

My face is stuck in a permanent scowl right now... I'll never be able to stay in a hotel again unless I fully clean it myself! How can the health department overlook that? They wouldn't for a hospital, which I realize is a bit more risky, but its not like they have an "only change it if there's blood or barf" (or other bodily fliuds) policy... I'm glad you told me that, though, t least I can go prepared! I'm sooo creeped out now thinging of the all the times I've stayed in hotels, thinking I was safe...

 

[Amy&Dan]

I worked in the sales office of a hotel years ago. At the beginning of my job I had to tour all the various departments with their respective managers. I was shocked to find out that this 5 star hotel only washed the blankets and bedspreads once a month. The housekeeping manager told me that actually our hotel was unusual. He had worked for many chains over the years and many of them didn't even do it that often. There was a lengthy thread on this awhile back and some solutions that some people used: take your own bedding, take off the bedspread and request a clean sheet to put on top of the blanket so that your skin only comes in contact with clean bedding, tell them you want all new bedding or tell them that due to allergies you absolutely must have clean bedding. I always inspect things very carefully and do not let any of us cover up with the bedspread. Those multi colored bedspreads would be tough to find a stain on. I also bring some of those lysol wipes to wipe down the bathroom good. I also remember that other thread saying the dirtiest thing in a hotel room is the TV remote. Mostly I just figure the whole world is dirty and to try not to think about it too much or I'll go crazy!

 

[Joann]

I have always thought this but never knew forsure omg that is gross, I know for us when we stay in hotels I fold down the comforter to the bottom of the bed ALWAYS when we go to bed, but know hearing it from someone who worked doing this I am asking for 2 new ones apon arrival to the room without spillage on them! I am gonna just say I want 2 clean ones that is so sick its true you never know what is on them from pee to other bodily fluids to kids snot ect ewwwwwww

 

[metta4]

UGH.....that so grosses me out. I plan on kindly asking that the comforter etc in my room be changed to new items at check in. UGH!! My kids have asthama and I hate to expose them to anything that could induce problems for them. UGH.

Guess I'll be adding lysol and lysol wipes to my list of things to buy....

 

[the kabuki]

There was a prime time live special about this on TV. It was so disgusting the stuff they found. They used a blacklight and all I can say it yuck. You don't want to know the things going on with that comforter or bedspread.

Magellan's travel catalog had a neat thing. It was like a sleeping bag but made from sheet type material that went up and over the pillow down to the end of the bed. It's called the extra roomy dream sack and it's basically so that you don't come in contact with any of the hotel bedding.

I usually just try not to think about, but a can of lysol isn't a bad thing to bring!!!

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

My face is stuck in a permanent scowl right now... I'll never be able to stay in a hotel again unless I fully clean it myself! How can the health department overlook that? They wouldn't for a hospital, which I realize is a bit more risky, but its not like they have an "only change it if there's blood or barf" (or other bodily fliuds) policy... I'm glad you told me that, though, t least I can go prepared! I'm sooo creeped out now thinging of the all the times I've stayed in hotels, thinking I was safe...

Honestly I have no idea how health departments allow it. All I know is that nothing was done after I reported their practices, at least not during the year and half I was at that particular one. I imagine practices like this are "ignored" b/c of the profit factor. Hotels bring in a huge amount of money along with tax dollars for the state, and it would cost A LOT to allow thier housekeepers to go through a pair of gloves for each room they did that day. But personally, I'd rather get a $10 cleaning surcharge added to my hotel bill every time I stayed somewhere if it meant I'd have seperate gloves for my room.

Also, someone mentioned bringing lysol with them. Honestly I'd bring bleach. Put it in a windox bottle and spray down the bathroom really quick when you arrive. My majors are biology and chemistry and un-diluted bleach is about the only thing I trust to clean everything. Lysol is good but not as good as bleach.

Lastly, don't let your kids play on the carpet unless you get housekeeping to come in and vacuum the room practically in front of you. It depends obviously on the hotel and on the housekeeper, but once a lot of housekeepers get out on thier own to do rooms (without a supervisor) they skip vacuuming the rooms. Their only generally given a maximum of 30 minutes to clean a room, which is enough if you FLY through your rooms. But when you get messy rooms that are trashed there is not enough time so the housekeepers will skip vacuuming. They simply make the rooms "look" clean without assuring that it is 100%.

Sorry to gross people out with all of these tidbits but figured I'd stick them out there. I'd rather disers be grossed out and KNOW about the hotels rather than not and have them pulling comforters up to their faces at night.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

Guess I'll be adding lysol and lysol wipes to my list of things to buy....

Just thinking the SAME THING!!! (Although my DH will think I am CRAZY!!)

I also DO NOT use or allow my children to use the comforters to cover up with!!! They put on sweatpants and socks if they are still cold!!! I do the same!!

 

[tifandjim]

Yep, all of this is extremely gross!! One of our friends tested this at a hotel that we stay at frequently (not at WDW), by using a fabric marker (so it will wash out) and marking the comforter and sheets in an area that would not be noticed. After one week, the sheets were washed once and the comforter was never washed. We never sit on the comforters, and when we get to the room, we immediately turn the bed down so we can sit on the sheets.

 

[njchris]

Why oh Why did I read this thread!!! IIIEEWWWWWWWWWW!

 

[Ilovestitch]

This topic comes up once every few months. My parents always told me since I was a little kid not to touch the comforter, I thought everyone knew this. Just pull down the comforter- don't use it. Its as simple as that.

Think of the thousands of hotel rooms at WDW. If people were getting sick from comforters, don't you think you would hear about this epidemic??

 

[ryan840]

I've learned too much about cross contamination (and admit to now being a bit paranoid about it) to even think of sleeping in a bed that has had a dirty comforter on it, unless the sheets and everything were changed. I don't think I could trust a sheet sandwich around it, knowing that it is still dirty inside, and that it touched the sheets I'm laying on. I'm really not worried about your everyday germs in public places, most people seem to all get along fine with them for the most part, but the stuff in a bathroom or on a bed is just NASTY!!! A cold, or God forbid, even the flu, I could live with, but lice, hepatitus, nasty things people leave on the bed, and other much worse things are sooo not worth the risk. Im so glad this was brought to my attention, I'll be bring my own cleaning supplies and bedding with me now!

 

[ryan840]

This topic comes up once every few months. My parents always told me since I was a little kid not to touch the comforter, I thought everyone knew this. Just pull down the comforter- don't use it. Its as simple as that.

Think of the thousands of hotel rooms at WDW. If people were getting sick from comforters, don't you think you would hear about this epidemic??

I don't think its so much a problem of geting sick, but the filth thats on it and whether or not you should have to be exposed to it. You can fold it down (but you shouldn't have to), but it still touched the sheets and everything, and it's still there. I just think that's wrong.

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

I don't think its so much a problem of geting sick, but the filth thats on it and whether or not you should have to be exposed to it. You can fold it down (but you shouldn't have to), but it still touched the sheets and everything, and it's still there. I just think that's wrong.

I agree. One of the biggest problems in medicine is keeping abreast of the new strains causing bacterial infections. The bacteria go through generations at a phenomenal rate and b/c of this develop resistance to current antibiotics very quickly. One of the reasons they are able to develop resistance besides their quick reproduction rate is b/c of how widespread they are. Each human that they inhabit provides a new environment where it can change into something more infectious or deadly. Thats why theres such an emphasis on preventing the spread of certain "common" diseases like the flu or the common cold. Because there is always the chance of someone getting it and providing it the conditions necessary for it to change into something worse that we can't control with modern medicine. So while exposing yoruself to something is not the worst thing in the world, if these unsanitary conditions continue worse diseases could be created.

Sorry not trying to be paranoid, its not something I really think about, but its at the forefront of what I study so just thought I'd add that perspective.

 

[ryan840]

I say we all boycot Disney Resorts until they promise to wash the blankets after each guest!!!






JK, I didn't actually think that would work! (I wouldn't even do it myself!)

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

I say we all boycot Disney Resorts until they promise to wash the blankets after each guest!!!
JK, I didn't actually think that would work! (I wouldn't even do it myself!)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd stay at Disney even were thier floors slatthered with mud and they provided me a pig's food bin as accomodations.