Bedspread/Comforter Cooties

[bigphilky]

The duvets/comforters on the beds have covers! My husband dribbled coffee on the edge of ours one morning. The room stward changed it. When we got into our cabin on the first day our duvet looked fresh but after we used it a few days you could tell it had been used. The covers are much like a sheet the duvet goes inside. I doubt they ever wash the actual duvet since most are not meant to be washed. I'll be sleeping all snuggled under the covers in 2 weeks and 1 night :) Can't wait :)

 

 

I try to replace my divots when I play!

 

Not sure what this talk is about people putting divots on beds?:rolleyes:

[ShedQueen77]

Well at least I wasn't alone in my thought process! :D I definitely have enough stuff to lug along. A bedspread/comforter (whatever you want to call it!) didn't even cross my mind when I was making our packing lists.

[dyslexic pirate]

The comforter/cover thing grosses us out too!

 

We usually introduce ourselves to our room steward/assistant and give them a $20 and ask for a fresh bed cover and a fresh matress pad (when they get a chance/maybe even just the next day when they makeup the room). The idea of sleeping in someone else's body oil and sweat buildup on the matress pad (even though a thin sheet covers it) freaks me out more than the comforter problem. I've never had a problem with my request.

 

I do wipe down the phone and the tv remote control. Those are two huge places for germs from past guests and not something that is routinely cleaned. The doorknobs/handles are another quick thing to wipe real fast.

 

The ironic thing is that I'm not the neat freak/germaphobe, DH is! I do a few little tidy up things so he will relax.

 

One time we stayed in a 5 star hotel in New Orleans and it was absoulutely filthy!!! DNA all over the headboard and dust a quarter inch thick all along the floor boards about 5 inches wide...like the main traffic area in the room was all that was ever vacumned. (cruise ships are in incredible shape in comparison to some hotels!!)

[PrettyLA]

I am a germ freak. I take a sleeping bag and unzip it so it comes out like a comforter and lay it on the bed and lay on top of that. I also take a blanket and my own pillows (I've always taken my own pillows).

[mcfam5]

There is nothing on the comforters that a hefty spray of Country Fresh scent Lysol can't take care of. After this thread, I will be packing a can for our upcoming trip!

[donaldsc]

I understand that even in the most upscale hotels, bedspreads are often not cleaned between guests, and it seems almost everyone (except me) has seen one of those TV exposes where some journalist takes a black light to a hotel bedspread and discovers all kinds of 'mystery' stains.

 

I can't imagine they have the capacity to clean every comforter between cruises either (unless they all have covers?), so what do YOU do?

 

What you could do is to take one of the silk sleep sacks with you. They take almost no room in your bag. Request that the cruise people remove all the sheets, bed covers, and pillows from the room. Then, take a light weight plastic sheet so that you do not have tolie directly on the bed.

 

As an alternative, you could ask that they remove the bed and spread out your plastic cover and sleep sack on the floor.

 

This should sufficiently isolate you from any leftover nasties from the previous guest.

[donaldsc]

I am a germ freak. I take a sleeping bag and unzip it so it comes out like a comforter and lay it on the bed and lay on top of that. I also take a blanket and my own pillows (I've always taken my own pillows).

 

You do have real problems.

 

DON

[MrPete]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a body condom and a Diver Dan helmet.

[we2cruze]

One time we stayed in a 5 star hotel in New Orleans and it was absoulutely filthy!!! DNA all over the headboard and dust a quarter inch thick all along the floor boards about 5 inches wide...like the main traffic area in the room was all that was ever vacumned. (cruise ships are in incredible shape in comparison to some hotels!!)

 

I agree, cruiseship staterooms are definitely cleaner than hotel rooms. You should see how I clean a hotel room when we stay in one.:p

[airdale]

Along with my popcorn popper, microwave, cappuccino maker, stash of booze and the other necessities needed for our cruise...NOW I need to take along a comforter? :D :D

Don

[ChefPeg]

Paranoia set in from reading these boards, also has me checking the mattresses in all hotels and cruise ships now for bed bugs. I'm happy to report that I've yet to find any. ;)

 

I have to laugh, the same thing has happened to me. Every cruise or hotel room, I have DH check the bed thoroughly for bedbugs. I can't help it, it's habit now. DH does it to appease me. Darn these boards, lol!

[bluejaygirl]

I just fold it down and try not to use it or actually think about it much.

[ChefPeg]

I just fold it down and try not to use it or actually think about it much.

 

I think that's probably the best way to deal with this issue.

[Mikel1733]

The comforter/cover thing grosses us out too!

The idea of sleeping in someone else's body oil and sweat buildup on the matress pad (even though a thin sheet covers it) freaks me out more than the comforter problem. I've never had a problem with my request.

 

 

I can't remember which Investigative News show it was on but they went into a room on a cruise ship and turned on the black light. WOW........it was like a laser light show at DisneyWorld. Must be a bunch of acrobats that like to cruise.:eek:

[cruzinmom]

I take the bedspread off the bed. After that I don't think about it, because then I would have to concider the beach towels everyone lays on in the hot sun, (how do they bleach blue beach towels? color safe bleach??:confused: ) Also the wash clothes and bath towels,sure they use bleach but still... And what if the dishwasher temp. is'nt hot enough on our cruise all those utensils that everyone put in thier mouth... of coarse how do I know they did'nt drop my burger on the floor and pick it up and serve it. ;) Seriously, who wants to think about all that. My own house is'nt sterile either.:D I will be enjoying having the beds made, food prepared and all the other fun in November, and I have banned any germs and bed bugs from coming.

[asoutherngal]

I can't remember which Investigative News show it was on but they went into a room on a cruise ship and turned on the black light. WOW........it was like a laser light show at DisneyWorld. Must be a bunch of acrobats that like to cruise.:eek:

 

LOL--glad no one comes to my house with that black light:o

[ChefPeg]

LOL--glad no one comes to my house with that black light:o

 

LOL!!!

[donaldsc]

I can't remember which Investigative News show it was on but they went into a room on a cruise ship and turned on the black light. WOW........it was like a laser light show at DisneyWorld. Must be a bunch of acrobats that like to cruise.:eek:

 

Does this mean that I have to pack a black light in my luggage?

 

DON

[TJ172]

I'm far from being a germaphobe, but I always travel with a can of lysol and a travel pack of clorox wipes. I give everything a good spray, especially bedding AND carpet, and a good wipe down when I first get to my cabin, and have yet to get sick or notice any nasty rashes (or worse).

[Mikel1733]

I'm gonna get real nervous if I see "notches" on the headboard.

[SoonerGirlie]

You guys are cracking me up!! I barely have room in my suitcase for all my clothes, shoes, bathing suits and toiletries. How would I ever get sheets, comforters, mattress pads and pillows in there????!!!! I like things clean too.....but I try not to get paranoid about it. Enjoy your cruise.....and just don't think about it.

[donaldsc]

I'm far from being a germaphobe, but I always travel with a can of lysol and a travel pack of clorox wipes. I give everything a good spray, especially bedding AND carpet, and a good wipe down when I first get to my cabin, and have yet to get sick or notice any nasty rashes (or worse).

 

I never do any of those things and also never get sick, get rashes, etc. Based on this logic, either I am very lucky to be healthy or the stuff you are doing is totally useless.

 

Have you ever done a cruise where you ignored all reasonable health issues to see if you got sick.

 

DON

[donaldsc]

You guys are cracking me up!! I barely have room in my suitcase for all my clothes, shoes, bathing suits and toiletries. How would I ever get sheets, comforters, mattress pads and pillows in there????!!!! I like things clean too.....but I try not to get paranoid about it. Enjoy your cruise.....and just don't think about it.

 

I guess that you will have to leave all your clothes with the exception of the stuff you are wearing and just bring the health stuff. BTW, don't forget the black light.

 

By the end of the cruise, however, your clothes will smell so bad that nobody will want to be near you. This might be a positive, however, because if they are not near you, you will not be able to catch anything from them.

 

DON

[ShedQueen77]

Sort of on topic....

 

This thread has really made me ponder how people actually develop immunities in this day in age. Between Clorox Wipes, Lysol, anti-bacterial soaps, hand sanitizers....sheesh.... Biologically speaking, the body has to be exposed to pathogen before it can develop the immunity needed to ward off the infection. All this "sanitizing" really interferes with the body's natural immunity development.

 

The germs and bacteria just keep mutating to different forms to get around all that "cleaning". Antibiotic success rates have already begun to decline due to the extensive use of these products.

 

Caution within reason seems to be the best solution! :)

[TJ172]

I never do any of those things and also never get sick, get rashes, etc. Based on this logic, either I am very lucky to be healthy or the stuff you are doing is totally useless.

 

Have you ever done a cruise where you ignored all reasonable health issues to see if you got sick.

 

DON

 

Probably a little of both