UV light for dust mites

[camella]

May sound like a strange question but has anyone ever brought on a uv light that gets rid of dust mites?  I know they vacuum the cabins continuously but the drapes and the pillows make my allergies go on high alert.  I was thinking about bringing a travel uv light and wonder if anyone has ever done it or if it even helps.  I tried the zippered pillowcases but they wound up being put in the laundry with the others and I never saw them again 😞.  I also wonder if it would be considered a "prohibited" item.  Anyone have any idea?  Thanks in advance!

[hcat]

Take extra allergy pills, , use saline  nasal spray..and use water pitchers to add humidity..   not sure if they would allow a table top air purefier?? We have them in use to combat bad air quality from Canada fires and ozone issues.

 

Could you bring a few uv lightbulbs?? I am not familar with this approach but we are  constantly fight dust!

[sunpsyche]

We brought a UV light on several cruises early on after the Covid restart. Had no problem getting it through security. 

[cruisestitch]

Bring your own zippered pillow cases and give the steward explicit instructions not to send them to the laundry.  Use a laundry marker pen to write your name on them.  
 

if you are lucky enough to find brightly colored or flowered or polka dot zippered cases, buy those to make it even easier to see that they don’t go in with the laundry.

[mom says]

I doubt that it would be prohibited. Is this travel light the correct UV C type? Are you prepared to take the time required to correctly expose every soft surface in the room for the required duration needed to kill the mites? And take the correct safety precautions to prevent eye and skin damage for the person using the light? And also have a hepa filter vacuum to remove the dead mites and eggs once you've finished the UV treatment?

[chemmo]

9 hours ago, camella said:

May sound like a strange question but has anyone ever brought on a uv light that gets rid of dust mites?  I know they vacuum the cabins continuously but the drapes and the pillows make my allergies go on high alert.  I was thinking about bringing a travel uv light and wonder if anyone has ever done it or if it even helps.  I tried the zippered pillowcases but they wound up being put in the laundry with the others and I never saw them again 😞.  I also wonder if it would be considered a "prohibited" item.  Anyone have any idea?  Thanks in advance!

I would suggest you contact special needs at Celebrity and ask them if it would be possible to ‘extra vac’ your room. I would not think drapes are regularly vacuumed….Perhaps adding you would be willing to accept late room access as you are aware it would be time consuming…Whilst this will not kill off the mites it should limit the surface dust and alert your room attendant to your health issues. Once on board a word with my room attendant and a decent tip for an extra special vacuum daily and daily bedding change would be my option. It will not kill off the little pests but should reduce their effects…
 

6 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

Bring your own zippered pillow cases and give the steward explicit instructions not to send them to the laundry.  Use a laundry marker pen to write your name on them.  
 

if you are lucky enough to find brightly colored or flowered or polka dot zippered cases, buy those to make it even easier to see that they don’t go in with the laundry.

Agree! 
 

Also I suggest a chat with your Doctor to see if they can recommend nose/eye drops and tablets specifically for times when you are not in your home environment. Some meds are not good for long term use so would not be regularly prescribed but could significantly make a difference for a two week holiday.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise!

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by chemmo

[SHIP TRAVELER]

This may seem too easy but I always tell the room steward the first day that I don't want the colored coverlet strip or any of the colored pillows on the bed at all.  Only white stuff on the bed...this saves him/her time making the bed and we don't reintroduce dust etc. onto the bed.  I find a place for these items out of the way for the week.  No one knows where those pillows have been, I think some use them to block light/noise under the cabin door from the hall which is a high traffic area.  I have seen others ask for extra clean sheets to spread over the sofa/ chair to reduce contact with the upholstery.  I know this is off the topic of a light wand but these are easy short cuts that help me feel the room the cleaner.

[camella]

13 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

Bring your own zippered pillow cases and give the steward explicit instructions not to send them to the laundry.  Use a laundry marker pen to write your name on them.  
 

if you are lucky enough to find brightly colored or flowered or polka dot zippered cases, buy those to make it even easier to see that they don’t go in with the laundry.

Yes I tried that but never saw them again but they were white.   I can look for the printed ones and see.  

[camella]

11 minutes ago, SHIP TRAVELER said:

This may seem too easy but I always tell the room steward the first day that I don't want the colored coverlet strip or any of the colored pillows on the bed at all.  Only white stuff on the bed...this saves him/her time making the bed and we don't reintroduce dust etc. onto the bed.  I find a place for these items out of the way for the week.  No one knows where those pillows have been, I think some use them to block light/noise under the cabin door from the hall which is a high traffic area.  I have seen others ask for extra clean sheets to spread over the sofa/ chair to reduce contact with the upholstery.  I know this is off the topic of a light wand but these are easy short cuts that help me feel the room the cleaner.

That's a great idea I always hate that thing on the bottom and just cringe thinking how nasty it is.  Not a germaphobe but I always wake up congested on the ships and on a recent road trip had the issue with the pillows and my allergies and my son in law came up with the idea of the uv light.  Usually try to avoid contact with the sofa or put towels.  An extra sheet would be a great idea.  Thanks!

[camella]

15 hours ago, sunpsyche said:

We brought a UV light on several cruises early on after the Covid restart. Had no problem getting it through security. 

Great to know - do you remember where you got it?

[newcruzer2]

I bring my own pillows cases 7 for 7 night cruise, taking them off in the am. And ask for no vacuuming, their vacuums are crap and just make room worse

Edited July 30, 2023 by newcruzer2

[sunpsyche]

3 hours ago, camella said:

Great to know - do you remember where you got it?

We bought it on Amazon.

[mrgabriel]

11 hours ago, camella said:

Yes I tried that but never saw them again but they were white.   I can look for the printed ones and see.  

I would take off the special pillow cases every morning and put them in a drawer.

[tfred]

On 7/29/2023 at 7:47 PM, camella said:

May sound like a strange question but has anyone ever brought on a uv light that gets rid of dust mites?  I know they vacuum the cabins continuously but the drapes and the pillows make my allergies go on high alert.  I was thinking about bringing a travel uv light and wonder if anyone has ever done it or if it even helps.  I tried the zippered pillowcases but they wound up being put in the laundry with the others and I never saw them again 😞.  I also wonder if it would be considered a "prohibited" item.  Anyone have any idea?  Thanks in advance!

It is a strange question. 

[cruisegirlppp]

8 hours ago, tfred said:

It is a strange question. 

Not if you have a dust mite allergy. While anyone can experience irritation from dust mites those with an allergy have a reaction. After you have maximized your protection at home you don't want to have issues while on vacation!! 

[GeezerCouple]

On 7/30/2023 at 11:56 AM, camella said:

That's a great idea I always hate that thing on the bottom and just cringe thinking how nasty it is.  Not a germaphobe but I always wake up congested on the ships and on a recent road trip had the issue with the pillows and my allergies and my son in law came up with the idea of the uv light.  Usually try to avoid contact with the sofa or put towels.  An extra sheet would be a great idea.  Thanks!

 

These "things" that never or rarely get properly cleaned, such as patterned bedspreads or "accent" pillows, etc... Yuck.

In any hotel (and also on a ship, which is a floating hotel), we kick them off the bed, pile them up in a corner, and then request that housekeeping remove them and NOT use anything like them during our stay.

 

Nowadays, more and more hotels use the white duvet covers or extra sheets, which is just perfect.  Those bedspreads are disgusting.  There are still often those fancy decorator (!?) pillows, and they are on the floor immediately, in a corner until we see housekeeping or the steward, etc.

 

And our experience has been that a room can be cleaned "more completely" if there is a medical issue.  We always speak with housekeeping (hotel) or special needs (cruise), who ask what is needed.  It's also on the special needs form we send in prior to any cruise.

 

I also like the idea of using extra sheets... Thanks!

 

GC

[Nebr.cruiser]

I know this may sound crazy and maybe not appropriate, but I have suffered from all kinds of allergies for 30 years, to the extent that it really affected my life style, mostly from horrible coughing, often so bad that I really hated going out in public.  Years of doctor's, meds, nasal irrigating up to 5 times a day, etc.  

 

For some reason acid reflux medication helped somewhat.  In May of this year I was prescribed Celebrex (generic form) for severe leg pain due to stenosis of the spine.  After a few weeks, I suddenly noticed that I was not coughing at all--maybe a mild cough a couple of times a day, and most other allergy symptoms were gone--still gone.  Truly miraculous for me.  

 

I still have occasional sniffles and eye watering; it's been a bad allergy season here.

 

My doctor agrees that it is probably the anti-inflammatory part of the drug that has helped my allergies, especially the post nasal drip.  I have not used a cough drop in 3 months (practically lived on them before) and have dropped two nose sprays, all nasal irrigation and some of my other allergy meds.

 

I can't over-emphasize what a difference this has made in my life.  And, leg pain is gone as well. Just something to think about.  I do realize that Celebrex does have some side effects, as most meds do.  Of course, check with your doctor!

Edited August 1, 2023 by Nebr.cruiser

[camella]

Neb. Cruiser - nothing is crazy if it works.  Different things work for different people.  Sometimes what's causing the reaction isn't an allergy to dust or whatever - it's something else.  About 10 years ago I was getting heart palpitations and RAN to the heart doctor since heart disease runs rampant in my family.  She checked me from a-z and said ok I want you to go off gluten.  I was  really surprised and even had to research just exactly what gluten was but I said ok.  She said in the meantime I'm going to test you and see if you have a certain gene because people with that gene are more susceptible to gluten intolerance.  I came back a month later, no more palpitations and by the way I had the gene.  So go figure!

[Nebr.cruiser]

13 minutes ago, camella said:

Neb. Cruiser - nothing is crazy if it works.  Different things work for different people.  Sometimes what's causing the reaction isn't an allergy to dust or whatever - it's something else.  About 10 years ago I was getting heart palpitations and RAN to the heart doctor since heart disease runs rampant in my family.  She checked me from a-z and said ok I want you to go off gluten.  I was  really surprised and even had to research just exactly what gluten was but I said ok.  She said in the meantime I'm going to test you and see if you have a certain gene because people with that gene are more susceptible to gluten intolerance.  I came back a month later, no more palpitations and by the way I had the gene.  So go figure!

So true.  Our bodies all react differently.  I was tested and went through 4 1/2 years of allergy shots with little results.  I was only tested for environmental and animal allergies; mine came back mostly different trees, weeds and molds.  Haven't been tested for dust mites.

 

I'm glad you found your solution and a way to 'fix' it.  Sharing experiences is a great way to learn.

[chengkp75]

On 7/29/2023 at 10:30 PM, mom says said:

I doubt that it would be prohibited. Is this travel light the correct UV C type? Are you prepared to take the time required to correctly expose every soft surface in the room for the required duration needed to kill the mites? And take the correct safety precautions to prevent eye and skin damage for the person using the light? And also have a hepa filter vacuum to remove the dead mites and eggs once you've finished the UV treatment?

And, the required signage to warn the cabin steward and all crew that UV light is being used in the cabin, so they can obtain the proper safety equipment?