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Sanitary Sanity.
By Contributing Editor, Pamela Loxley Drake
Mother's Mantra.
By President & Founder, Annette Zientek
Plus...Four Questions About Air Travel Health, the answers may suprise you!
By Co-founder, Robert G. Brost,
Sanitary Sanity.
Pack your bags! You're going on a trip! Wait, wait, wait. I can tell by the way this started that you think that I'm talking about you. Sorry. I was talking about germs! Your's, mine and everyone else's.
Put a man in the seat of an airplane, and he will immediately open his briefcase, take out a newspaper, wait for the movie or close his eyes. Put a woman in that same seat and she will: first, look at the seat in which her backside will reside; second, look at the headrest for residual hair, lint or anything that might be moving; third, check the armrests for any sticky or unpleasant residue; and, finally, peek into the magazine pocket hoping not to find reminders of the last seat occupant. Once everything has been checked out, she is ready for flight. Or is she?
I have long since ignored the standard airline pillow and in favor of my own washable pillow/blanket set from home. Then I remove my shoes and slip on my travel socks. Ah, now I'm ready to fly the friendly skies.
Of course, no trip is complete without the hand sanitizing wipes. Trips to the restroom, before eating, after visiting a public area, a little sanitizing never hurt anyone.
Then we come to the hotel room. Ah, what tales I could tell. I am always fearful to look at the bedding and am terrified when it comes to looking at the bathroom. Again, this is where the sanitizer wipes come in handy. You can whisk one around the toilet and sink, counter tops, telephone, TV remote, bedside table, -- out with the old and in with the new.
Note - You have the option to check under the bed upon arrival to your room. I've never looked under a bed and been happy with what I've found. Your call.
As for the bedding...hum. If traveling by car, I like to throw in my own pillow and pillowcase, and have even thrown in a sleeping bag on occasion. However, it is not always possible to take your own bedding, try a sleep sheet. This is another place that the sanitizing spray is a plus. Check your bedding immediately upon arrival. Anything that is soiled should be reported to the front desk. Ask for immediate attention to the problem. Don't use the spread - it hardly ever gets washed. If it cannot be remedied, ask for another room.
Once upon a late arrival to a motel, my family was placed in a room where we soon discovered cockroaches crawling on the walls. We requested another room and the next day moved to another motel. If I want the company of a pet, I will bring my own. You have a right to a clean, safe place to stay.
Obviously, we aren't suggesting that you obsess about germs, but you can be careful and take precautions. Travel-sized sanitizers, traveling pillows and blankets, travel cups and disposable items make traveling easier than ever before. Check out all the travel items in the health & beauty section to help you travel worry-and-germ free. Bon Voyage.
Mother's MantraMother's mantra, echo's in my head still today...Don't touch that!, Wash that before using it, Don't put that in your mouth, and the all time classic...Did you wash your hands? That advice was good then and it's good now, especially given the number of people traveling and the germs that go with them.
Airline toilets just have to be the worst, (there's no janitorial service between uses - unless you're behind me in line!). I remember once watching an interview with Loretta Lynn, who remarked that she's "cleaned more toilets across the country then anyone". All because she didn't want the person following to remark, "boy that Loretta Lynn is sure a slob!" I know just what she meant.
This phobia developed early on, as a child I remember having to "go baftroum" while out in public and my Mom or Aunt Marie (I don't know who was worst) taking me into the lady's room - suddenly, with nothing more then a single roll of toilet paper that stall would be transformed into a sterile hazmat cubical, every surface would be covered in paper! "You know what I'm talking about." Perhaps that how I got so good at the hover-maneuver.
I just cringe at the thought that I'm next to use the faculties after the travel-slob passenger. I never realized how good I was at doing so many things with my feet until my first trip to the in-flight toilet and now as a seasoned traveler I practically float in that space (is there anti-gravity at 20,000 feet?). I touch no surface with any part of my being except the bottom of my shoe, and then I wipe that off with paper towels before exiting. So if you see me get up to go - jump in line after me 'cause when I'm done that flying porta-potty will be as clean as the day it was new...but you may have to ask for more paper towels.
Four Questions about Air Travel Health.There are a lot of stories flying around (no pun intended) about health risks created from air travel. Four questions seem to predominate everyone's concerns on this matter. Responses are from travel health experts:
- Can I catch an illness from the passenger sitting next to me or from germs left by a sick passenger on the previous flight? While it is possible to catch an illness just from being on a plane, it is not likely. And just sitting in a seat next to an ill person isn't likely to make you sick. Your body is constantly bombarded with microbes, most of which your immune system fights off. However airborne microbes from a sneeze or cough can enter your body if you wipe that area on your nose or eyes. Best strategy: Keep anti-bacterial spray, hand wipes, or gels to stay clean . Also you can ask to be reseated if sitting next to anyone who is sick and if there is a seat available.
- How often do airlines clean their planes, pillows, and blankets? Surface cleaning is generally done between each flight at the gate depending on the miles flown, the point of origin, and the time available. Some airlines do another more thorough cleaning at night which includes vacuuming, cleaning windows, and wiping down bins and other surfaces. Deep cleaning which includes cleaning vents, upholstery, and headrests is done on a schedule that varies from airline to airline. Recently intervals have lengthened for many due to profit pressure. The same goes for pillows and blankets. Best Strategy: Wipe down the most commonly contaminated surfaces (headrest, seat arms, and tray table with an antibacterial wipe. Use only those blankets sealed in plastic - you know that are clean. And bring your own blanket and pillow.
- Is the water from the taps on plane safe? Tests by the EPA found that a significant percentage of the lavatory water on a sample of randomly selected airplanes were contaminated with coliform bacteria. Airline agreed to improve their own testing and monitoring but note that the water aboard airplanes is intended for washing your hands and not drinking. Best strategy: Drink only bottled water from the airlines beverage service. Take additional bottled water along as backup in case they run out.
- Is the air on airplanes safe? Travelers worry that the air is recirculated and germs from sneezes and coughs have nowhere to go but back around the cabin. The fact is that at least half the air comes from outside the aircraft and passes through high efficiency particulate, or HEPA, filter which removes contaminants. Best strategy: this is simply a rumor and should not be a serious worry.
Just a few ideas to make your travels safer, healthier, and more comfortable.
Sign up on our E-mail list list to be notified of other new travel tips. Meanwhile, I hope you'll share your travel tales, experiences, likes and dislikes with us at: travel stories and travel tips.
Please let me know how I can assist you with your travel needs.
Cheers,
Annette
President & Co-founder
Specials!
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