The Ultimate Guide to help Sanitize Your Cruise Stateroom
Much has been written about cruise ship sanitization and cleanliness just recently, and it’s hard to imagine a cleaner environment in which to enjoy a vacation. Cruise lines have gone above and beyond in terms of sanitizing cruise staterooms and cabins to make them safe after covid. Hopefully, our simple tips will help you in your quest to sanitize your cruise stateroom or cabin.
Apart from Coronavirus, the lurking fear of norovirus is also something to consider particularly if your ship has recently had a large outbreak as happened to us recently. We were advised by the cruise line one day before embarkation that there had been an outbreak but everything had been sanitized and deep cleaned.
Nevertheless, we went to the nearest supermarket for cleaning supplies. If you still feel the need for extra cleaning of your stateroom, then read on to explore some of the routines we follow when entering your cabin or stateroom for the first time. Of course, this guide to cruise ship stateroom sanitization also applies to hotel rooms and rental properties.
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You always hope that your cabin or stateroom will be fully sanitized, and in most cases, this will be true. If you are a serious germophobe, you may wish to go one step further, just to be on the safe side.
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Be Prepared – Create Your own Protection Kit
If you’re serious about deep cleaning your cabin, you’ll need to come prepared with the right gear.
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TASK 1 – Wash Your Hands
When you arrive at your ship, you probably have had to travel by plane, train, taxi or coach, all of which have handles harbouring germs and viruses, areas which you touch frequently and transmit those germs onto your hands.
So, the minute you put your key card into your cabin/stateroom/suite door, make a beeline for the bathroom to tear open the wrapped soap and wash your hands thoroughly for the time it takes to sing the song ‘Happy Birthday to yourself twice.
Your next task is to locate the full pack of All Surface Dettol Antiseptic wipes from your carry on bag and start work on the sanitation of your stateroom.
When you arrive at your ship, you probably have had to travel by plane, train, taxi or coach, all of which have handles harbouring germs and viruses, areas which you touch frequently and transmit those germs onto your hands.
So, the minute you put your key card into your cabin/stateroom/suite door, make a beeline for the bathroom to tear open the wrapped soap and wash your hands thoroughly for the time it takes to sing the song ‘Happy Birthday to yourself twice.
Your next task is to locate the full pack of All Surface Dettol Antiseptic wipes from your carry on bag and start work on the sanitation of your stateroom.
Task 2 – Wipe Down Light Switches and Doors Handles
Start with these high touch areas by wiping all handles and light switches, not forgetting the balcony door handles if you are lucky enough to have a balcony. If yoi do have a balcony, rember to wipe down all the balcony furniure with a wipe. On completion throw the used wipe in the bin.
Task 3 – Sanitise Electrical Items
Retrieve another wipe and sanitise all electrical items, especially things like the safe, coffee/tea maker, alarm clock, radio or sound system and hairdryer. Again, throw the used wipe in the bin.
Task 4 – Quarantine the TV Remote Control
This little gadget is one of the highest risk items in your stateroom for spreading germs. Everyone touches this, staff, guests, and maintenance crew but it is one of the most difficult items to clean. The lots of buttons and nowadays integrated touchpads, there are so many little nooks and crannies they can be a nightmare to clean.
Solution – using a disposable glove or a tissue, put it in a plastic bag and zip it shut. A small ziplock bag is perfect but the ones you get at the airport used for going through security with liquids are ideal. This allows you to still be able to operate the TV remote, but never have to touch the buttons.
Task 4 – Clean the phone
Here we have another contender for the germiest item in your stateroom. A bit like the TV remote control, all sorts of people use the phone but you can’t isolate it in the same way as the TV remote. The best you can do is to wipe down the phone paying particular attention to the mouthpiece and buttons.
Task 5 – Attack the Bathroom
Using a fresh wipe or spray, the next key area is the bathroom making sure you sanitise bathroom unit handles, shower glass handles, worktops and lastly the toilet seat and flush.
Throw away the used wipe.
Nearly there.
Task 6 – Clean Surfaces of Cabin Furniture
Use another wipe to clean down the bedside tables, coffee tables and dressing table, not forgetting any metal surfaces on the balcony furniture. Throw away the used wipe.
Task 7 – Remove Decorative Pillows and Bedspreads
Bed linens will normally be clean and fresh with not too much to worry about. But those embellishments like decorative pillows, blankets, bedspreads bed protectors and pillows could bring germs to your bed if they are not cleaned and laundered between sailings.
We always remove these and place them under the bed or better still, ask your cabin steward to store them safely somewhere for you.
Task 8 – Wash glasses and coffee cups
If you plan to use any of the glassware in your room for a glass of wine or to rinse out your mouth after brushing your teeth, you will need to make sure these are super clean. You can clean these with hot water and soap or shower gel. Dry them carefully; we always take a tea towel for drying these. The same applies to all the coffee cups and mugs in your cabin or stateroom.
Task 9 – Wash your Hands again
You have now sanitized your personal space on the ship, which has taken probably about 5 minutes and you can now get on with unpacking, attending a muster drill or just having that first drink of champagne to celebrate getting on board.
More Top Hygiene Tips for on Your Cruise
Do not forget public spaces where good hygiene is of utmost importance.
Try to avoid handrails, except when the seas are choppy when it is sensible to hold on for safety’s sake.
When visiting the public washrooms, there is always the challenge after you have washed your hands, how to exit the door without touching the door handle – remember there are those who do not wash their hands after using the toilet and will use the exit handle. A tip is to either use a paper hand towel or one of your own tissues to touch the exit handle, hold back the door with your foot and throw the towel or tissue in the bin.
Before you enter a restaurant/pool grill, either wash your hands or sanitize them.
We all love to have a bowl of fries and as they are at their tastiest when a splash of salt is added, meaning you will have to touch the table salt dispenser. Germ alert. Either pick it up with your napkin or sanitise your hands after using it and definitely before sneakily picking up a fry with your fingers.
AN ABSOLUTE MUST – carry around hand sanitiser at all times.
Last update on 2025-02-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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