Shared Toiletries in the Age of Covid

[LAX]

I don't know that they dump them or not. It just seems adding to the product left from the last tenants in the room just isn't that sanitary, either.

That was kind of my point. It's not a good idea either way.

LAX

 

[Skylarr29]

Double post

 

[Skylarr29]

They are not. They are loose on the ledge.

But the containers are locked right?
So what could the previous tenants do?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

 

[anricat]

But the containers are locked right?
So what could the previous tenants do?

They are locked at the WDW resorts. They are loose on the cruise ships. Not sure why. The ships have a tamper evident piece of tape on them instead. The tape seems to be hit or miss according to some reports.

 

[spiders]

In my opinion, you have a much better chance from some slob rubbing his nose and then touching all the serving spoons at Cabanas than you do from someone deliberately tampering with your shampoo.

 

[BadPinkTink]

ok, this will probably gross people out, but anyways here goes

So you are all wondering what the stateroom hosts do, do they dump out the bottle and refill totally new for each new guest or do they just top up. While I have not been on a cruise yet and I have no knowledge of the actual DCL procedures, the discussion reminds me of when I worked in the catering industry many years ago. Many restaurants have ketchup and mustard bottles as well as mayonnaise bottles, salt and pepper shakers and other sauces and condiments. These bottles are usually on the table when you get seated by the hosts, or are brought to your table depending on what food you order. As a result they are used by many people during the course of the restaurants day. It is common procedure for these bottles to be cleaned and filled by the closing shift servers each night. The server will check all the bottle on their assigned tables. They clean the lids and tops of the bottles and then just top up the bottles from the large catering containers of ketchup, mayonnaise etc. Bottles are only replaced if they go missing or get damaged.

This is how tomato ketchup is supplied to restaurants, in 15 kg / 12.7 litre boxes. There is a foil bag inside the box which attaches to the pouring spout. The server will just pour ketchup into a jug and then top up the bottles for their tables.


I would say on DCL its the same procedure for the bottles in the showers. It is my guess that they just clean the tops and then top up from the big containers of shampoo, conditioner and lotion. I would not expect the bottles to be dumped out and the shampoo thrown out after every disembarkation.

 

[Henwen88]

They are locked at the WDW resorts. They are loose on the cruise ships. Not sure why. The ships have a tamper evident piece of tape on them instead. The tape seems to be hit or miss according to some reports.

Yep, there's absolutely a 'sticker' - that was flopping in the wind (and I think may have accidentally ended up down the drain... oops). I asked for, and received, a bar of soap (packed my own shampoo too).
The on property resorts (I stay in DVC villas) still have individual bottles, thank goodness. I know the time is limited for that as well, though

 

[emilymad]

The bottles are just topped up between the next guests. We were on a norovirius cruise last year and our bottles were topped up on day 6 because they knew they were going to have to clean more in between sailings. The stateroom host was trying to gain some time. And we did come down with norovirius a day after the cruise so good luck to whoever had our stateroom after us.

 

[wombat_5606]

I always travel with my own things, so I don't use the travel amenities that are in my cruise cabin or hotel room.

The small individual bottles I have seen during my travels, for the most part, aren't tamper proof either. If they appear full, I'm going to assume the room steward just leaves them in place for the next guest. How would you be assured those hadn't been tampered with?

 

[spiders]

The bottles are just topped up between the next guests. We were on a norovirius cruise last year and our bottles were topped up on day 6 because they knew they were going to have to clean more in between sailings. The stateroom host was trying to gain some time. And we did come down with norovirius a day after the cruise so good luck to whoever had our stateroom after us.

Good luck to whoever had your stateroom after you? So, we would have to assume that the actual pumps aren’t being cleaned and that the next person touched the pump and then rather than washing, licked their hands?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I always travel with my own things, so I don't use the travel amenities that are in my cruise cabin or hotel room.

The small individual bottles I have seen during my travels, for the most part, aren't tamper proof either. If they appear full, I'm going to assume the room steward just leaves them in place for the next guest. How would you be assured those hadn't been tampered with?

Typically, the individual bottles were not replaced in the rooms toward the end of the cruise, and many such bottles (partially used or not) wound up in departing guest's luggage.

 

[spiders]

I have never worried about the cleanliness of the soaps in any hotel room, whether one time use bottles or reusables. It is probably the last thing on my mind.

What always sticks out to me is how much dirt must be in the carpet or how many hundreds if not thousands of people who did the dirty on the mattress I’m about to lay on.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

I have never had issues with the products in the rooms on DCL when it comes to the refillable dispensers.

When we sailed on the Fantasy, right after they started doing the dispensers, I noticed that the "safety stickers" were on the side and not properly attached. I brought it up to the stateroom host and he asked me to explain and I showed him. He said he was sorry, and didn't fully understand what the stickers were for and went to his cart and pulled out new bottles and attached the stickers properly. He said he was going to have to go back and redo his other rooms and thanked me for pointing it out. This was the only issue I had with the safety seal stickers. He mentioned that they do wipe the bottles with a sani wipe when doing their usual room servicing.

I don't have issues with using the H2O products at all and have never found any irregularities or inconsistencies with the Bodywash/Shampoo/Lotion/Conditioner from when they were in the small bottles.

The only issue I have with the bottles is how hard it is to get the product out of them! The pumps are terrible and slow.

 

[wombat_5606]

Typically, the individual bottles were not replaced in the rooms toward the end of the cruise, and many such bottles (partially used or not) wound up in departing guest's luggage.

I understand that and I'm sure I'm in the minority. What I'm saying is that I have no way of knowing if the individual ones in my room were there before me and were or weren't tampered with or if the steward just put them in my cabin that morning.

I don't take mine home, so I'm assuming the crew will notice that and leave mine for the next occupant. Do you think they just throw them away even if they appear that they are full just because I've occupied that cabin?

There is no way to tell if I had tampered with those small bottles, just as there is no way to tell if the large bottles have been tampered with, for the most part, unless they are locked down in some way.

 

[bbel]

I'm sorry, but what is so bad about touching a SOAP dispenser that you are literally dispensing SOAP out of, into your own hands, during shower? There is literally NO risk here. The soap gets rid of the virus, like, immediately.

Makes you wonder what some people use to pump the dispensers for them to be having these thoughts/fears...

Obviously not washing their hands in public bathrooms either...

 

[anricat]

The on property resorts (I stay in DVC villas) still have individual bottles, thank goodness. I know the time is limited for that as well, though

We were at AKL (Kidani) in Feb and they had switched to the bottles, but then at our BLT stay last month we had the individual bottles again so who knows. We toured Riviera when we were there in Feb and I can't remember for certain, but I'm pretty sure that they had the big bottles installed.

 

[travelmomof3]

I'm sorry, but what is so bad about touching a SOAP dispenser that you are literally dispensing SOAP out of, into your own hands, during shower? There is literally NO risk here. The soap gets rid of the virus, like, immediately.

To be honest, it just grosses me out. While I'm completely aware that it is soap within the dispenser, technically you have to touch the dispenser to dispense the soap before your hand is clean, no? Your hand is clean after using the soap. So my imagination is thinking about the unclean hand pushing on the top of the dispenser...I think in sterile terms anyway. I was a nursing student, worked in surgeries, and have dealt with food allergies among my kids for the last several years. I have 'cross-contamination' on my mind all the time.

I actually have always brought my own anyway. I have specific products I like and have doubles or mini versions of my big ones I use every day at home. Since we travel frequently, it was worth the investment.

 

[DLgal]

To be honest, it just grosses me out. While I'm completely aware that it is soap within the dispenser, technically you have to touch the dispenser to dispense the soap before your hand is clean, no? Your hand is clean after using the soap. So my imagination is thinking about the unclean hand pushing on the top of the dispenser...I think in sterile terms anyway. I was a nursing student, worked in surgeries, and have dealt with food allergies among my kids for the last several years. I have 'cross-contamination' on my mind all the time.

I actually have always brought my own anyway. I have specific products I like and have doubles or mini versions of my big ones I use every day at home. Since we travel frequently, it was worth the investment.

Yes, but you ALSO have germs on your hands before you wash them. It doesn't matter, because you are going to immediately be washing them anyway. Do you push down the soap dispenser and then immediately shove your fingers into your nose, mouth or eyes? Doubt it.

 

[lilmc]

They’re wiping them down, at least on occasion. Doesn’t gross me out at all, it’s things that are never wiped down that do. The money in my wallet, gross. Someone else’s cell phone. Yuck. Elevator buttons on DCL ships and handrails, nope, I’ve seen them wiped down frequently. Everywhere else, icky. Pens in public places, bleh. DCL’s carpet in my cabin I’m more concerned out than the shampoo containers.