Sanitary Wipes Handed Out?

[OnlyDisney]

I'm researching a cruise for our family as I've never been on one and I'm thinking I'm going to be back here with a lot of questions very soon!

Reading another thread someone mentioned that cast members hand out sanitary wipes before you can enter a restaurant. Do you have to take the wipe? Is it the kind that come individually wrapped?

I ask because I'm allergic to artificial fragrance (my skin reacts as if its poison ivy). I have my own fragrance free hand sanitizer that I bring with me everywhere. I assume I could just show them this instead?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm researching a cruise for our family as I've never been on one and I'm thinking I'm going to be back here with a lot of questions very soon!

Reading another thread someone mentioned that cast members hand out sanitary wipes before you can enter a restaurant. Do you have to take the wipe? Is it the kind that come individually wrapped?

I ask because I'm allergic to artificial fragrance (my skin reacts as if its poison ivy). I have my own fragrance free hand sanitizer that I bring with me everywhere. I assume I could just show them this instead?

You don't HAVE to take the wipe, but others around you may feel you should. It's your call as to whether showing that you have your own wipe is going to make the "evil eye" you may get from those who feel you are shirking your responsibility regarding germs on your hands before entering a restaurant a little less evil.

They are not individually wrapped. They come out of a pop-up dispenser.

 

[Bishoparc]

They don't "make" you take them. A cast member stands at the entrance to the restaurant with a tub of wipes and hands them out. They are not pre-packaged. I don't believe they are fragranced as I haven't smelt anything. They're just very generic wipes.

If you can't use those and they offer you one, just decline it and say you just used your hand sanitizer. They aren't going to force one on you. They're just trying to help everyone stay sanitary as with so many people in a confined place you kinda have to.

 

[OnlyDisney]

Thank you for putting my mind at ease. I have no problem with people giving me the stink eye as that is preferable to having an allergic reaction!

A note in case anyone is interested - just because something doesn't have a smell doesn't mean it isn't fragrance free. Companies can use a masking fragrance to counteract other smells in their product.
I became allergic out of the blue just before I turned 18. It really opened my eyes to how many things have fragrance. Did you know that they make tampons with fragrance? I didn't even know I had to look out for something like that until I accidentally bought a package

 

[bumbershoot]

You don't have to take it.

I wash my hands before going to dine, which is FAR better than sanitizer, and better than sanitizer *wipes*, which have got to be the most useless way of doing it.

 

[TrySomethingNew]

The wipes come out of a labeled container, therefore you can also ask to look at the label. I don't recall a fragrance, but you are correct that many things have a fragrance to mask any underlying base aromas.
The main objective is for all cruisers to have clean hands. Washing with soap and water for the prescribed 15-20 seconds is, of course best, but so many people do not do this, hence the wipes. Good luck!

 

[squirk]

As others have said, they're not going deny you entry to the restaurant or wrestle you to the ground and make you take the wipe.

The wipes seem to be very "mild" in comparison to the sanitizing wipes you pick up at Target or wherever. Not saying you won't have a reaction, but I would bet that Disney opts for the most hypoallergenic option available. Perhaps someone cruising soon could take a pic of the wipe container so you can research?

And Bumbershoot is right - no wipe will work as well as a proper hand-washing, but given how many guests won't do that, and given that even if you do wash your hands before you head to dinner, you're still going to touch all kinds of germy surfaces on your way to the MDR, I guess DCL does what it can.........

 

[JW9DVC]

I just usually wash my hands in the restroom and be sure not to touch anything.

JW

 

[tinkerone]

no wipe will work as well as a proper hand-washing, but given how many guests won't do that, and given that even if you do wash your hands before you head to dinner, you're still going to touch all kinds of germy surfaces on your way to the MDR, I guess DCL does what it can.........

this exactly.
I use them just because I want to protect myself. it may not be much but its something. walking from our room to the dining rooms you touch a dozen different surfaces. when I take that wipe its because I want my hands to be clean when I eat my dinner, it may or may not help others but it makes me feel better.

 

[suffieldhockeymom]

They are the sanitizing wipes that are used in hospitals to kill viruses and disinfect. They come out of a popup container similar to Clorox wipes.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

I have no problem with people giving me the stink eye as that is preferable to having an allergic reaction!

A note in case anyone is interested - just because something doesn't have a smell doesn't mean it isn't fragrance free. Companies can use a masking fragrance to counteract other smells in their product.

Great response!

 

[Jess_S]

I'm also sensitive to artificial fragrance (though I think more mildly than the OP because the rash I get is no where near as bad as poison ivy). For what it's worth, I did not experience any reaction to the wipes. But as everyone has noted, it's easy enough to pop into the bathroom and actually wash your hands before meals if you need to avoid the wipes. (We actually did both before every meal because I was paranoid about having a sick child confined to a cruise cabin.)

 

[OnlyDisney]

They are the sanitizing wipes that are used in hospitals to kill viruses and disinfect. They come out of a popup container similar to Clorox wipes.

I was actually in the hospital a month ago for a fractured ankle (a compound fracture that my husband likes to describe as something out of a horror movie!) I know the hand sanitizer has fragrance in its and I think the hand soap does also. We also found out that the wash they use to prepare you for surgery has fragrance too! Luckily I'm used to explaining my allergy to people.
The assistant nurse kept insisting that the wash didn't have any fragrance so I let her prepare it but when she brought over the pan of water it smelled so strong of baby powder. I made her bring the container the wash came from and sure enough fragrance was listed as the second ingredient! Usually fragrance is listed near the bottom of the ingredients. Can you imagine if I let her wash me down with that stuff?!?