Comments on: Hotel Check-in Cleanliness Regimens

By: Megan

Megan — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 20:41:21 +0000

Hi Gene,

I’m the Flight Attendant in question and to answer your question, yes, when I get on the phone I take a wipe and wipe down the aircraft area’s I work at. All the PA phone and buttons I push. It might sound weird but I get sick WAY more often at this job than any other I have had and we do not get a lot of sick time to burn.

Oliver,

I’m a Flight attendant, I don’t order room service hardly ever because I can’t afford it. I do carry food with me though, and my own utensils. As for coffee shops, I used to work in one so it doesn’t really bother me.

iahphx,

I had to laugh at your comment because I really didn’t think I was paranoid at all… especially after hearing all the things my fellow flight attendants do and don’t do… but you know what… maybe I am.

By: iahphx

iahphx — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:49:17 +0000

The flight attendant is obviously a bit paranoid about germs and, in particular, bed bugs.

I’m OK with the germs, although I usually do logical things like try to rinse glassware before I use it. The bed bug thing is a bit scarier, perhaps because the fear is relatively new. I’m not so much afraid of being bit (to my knowledge, I never have), but I don’t want to bring the bugs home with me. When you stay in more than 50 hotel rooms a year, you figure some day your luck may run out. So I try not to leave clothing or my suitcase on the bed, preferring (like this f/a) the luggage rack or a table.

That said, how many frequent flyers have really had a bed bug problem? If they were truly prevalent, you’d think every flyertalker would have a story.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:45:26 +0000

@Gene — a few weeks at the airport, a TA took over a workstation from another one. The first thing she did was pull out a disinfectant wipe and clean the keyboard and mouse.

I think it I did that at work (where I sometimes take over someone else’s computer to show them something) I’d get strange looks

By: Oliver

Oliver — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:41:57 +0000

And the FA doesn’t worry about the room service items being brought to her? Or the restaurants/coffee shops she visits?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:15:51 +0000

My wife and me have a similar regiment everywhere we go. We bring disinfectant wipes and wipe down, toilet seat, light switches, phones, remote and anything else that might be a heavy use item.
Believe me, it’s important. I am a Sr. Scientist in a Microbiology department and I know all the bugs that hang out in communal places – it’s not pretty.

One can never sterilize the room 100% but you can certainly cut down on the time you get a cold, infection or general unpleasantness. So pack some wipes with you next time and wipe the remote at a minimum!

By: Gene

Gene — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:50:57 +0000

And does she wipe down the entire inside of the airplane before she works? This type of behavior is pure paranoia (although that TV remote probably IS gross). I figure that at least hotel rooms sort of get cleaned every day, unlike my desk at work, my bathroom at home, the airplane trays I use, the subway I ride, etc.

I think it is much easier to follow the simple rules of frequent hand washing and not touching you nose and eyes. Anything else is really pointless, IMO.

By: Ric Garrido

Ric Garrido — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:50:10 +0000

I always wash glassware myself before using in in hotel room. I’ll certainly continue the practice after watching the YouTube video link from the flight attendant’s post. I typically scrub the coffee pot too (with a clean washcloth I hope!).