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We have games too. We do always open them up to see if they’ve been used and if they have, we “re-set” them (the pieces, manual, etc how they came originally) so that they look appealing and tidy to the next guest. We can tell if they’ve been used because no one else puts everything back like that - so that’s one way you could tell. Or you could just ask them to leave out anything they use.
People who aren’t worried about it will enjoy and appreciate the games. People who are worried about it just won’t use the games.
Even though I am learning that we apparently clean much deeper than most hosts, we don’t sanitize every scrabble piece and still won’t (though we have cleaned pieces that were clearly used while eating pizza, lol). We also have bookshelves with lots of books and we don’t sanitize each book either (but also wipe down obvious handling). However, we are also going to leave 3 days between guests and that is sufficient for books and such to not be infectious to the next guest. (I know not everyone can do the 3 days but we’ve been enjoying the break from constant back to back guests and have decided to give ourselves that extra time).
For reference, I’m not lackadaisical about cleaning. We have medicine cabinets and shower caddies stocked full of amenities in the bathrooms and we have always wiped down every single one between guests. Likewise in the kitchen, we provide numerous canisters of teas, coffees, etc and all kinds of oils, vinegars, etc and we have always wiped down every single container in between guests. There are lots of things to spread before covid, like norovirus, MRSA, e coli, salmonella, flus, colds, etc. I don’t think anything should be provided in a kitchen or bathroom that doesn’t get cleaned between guests (with or without covid).
I wonder why they are called throw pillows. I throw them on the ground 90% of the time because there is no place else to put them. LOL. I understand that others appreciate them. Since I don’t have anywhere to sit and read, I don’t need them.
Good idea, our guests seem to have a lot of fun with board games and puzzles. We have four or five and I plan to clean them. This, however would make it easier.
We have a fully stocked cabin and are dog friendly. I’m not removing throw pillows, books or games. I’m not cleaning much differently than in the past (we’ve always disinfected high touch surfaces).
What I am doing differently is awaiting 3-4 days between guests. The virus doesn’t last long on porous surfaces so furniture will not be sprayed, but I’ll continue to wipe all pieces with a damp rag to remove surface dirt. Removable covers on pillows won’t be washed. Why? Because they’re simply an extension of the couch. I refuse to go nuts over cleaning standards that almost meet a hospital standard.
What about snot and naked butts and everything else that could be on your pillows? Gross not to wash them. I do not want to wash them either, so I have removed them.
Our cabin was created for mature, quiet individuals; it’s not suitable for children. The property description and screening have, thus far, produced guests who are very clean and have treated it with respect. It takes 15-18 hours to clean the (3-level) cabin between guests. The reviews have been stellar.
I’ll continue, like everyone else, to evaluate and change (where necessary) how we manage and clean our cabin as this situation continues to evolve. Thank you for your comments.
I appreciate that your place would be so clean, but I would request a refund and re-homing if I showed up and could still smell the bleach.
Bleach is an irritant to your lungs, nasal passages, eyes and throat. Considering that Covid is an airborne respiratory virus, it’ not a good idea to irritate your (or your guest’s) respiratory system as people with respiratory issues is one of the high-risk groups for Covid.
And hospitals (nor nursing homes) don’t smell like bleach anyway - they can’t, for the same reason I stated above.
I doubt it smells like bleach when the guests arrive, we use bleach in the mop water and it does smell like bleach when I am closing the door. The sheets and towels if you were to give them a sniff you would likely smell it.
I think I will cover the games and toys in some of my clear plastic bags and put them in the cabinet. If they are played with, I doubt they will be put back in the bag in the cabinet and rather, left on the shelf.
Just leave a note on the bag saying to please leave them out of the bag if used, so you know what requires sterilizing. Murphy’s Law- if you wanted them put back in the bag, they’ll leave them out. If you wanted them left out, they’ll doubtless put them back in the bag
Yeah, it’s a long clean time. Frustrating and tiring, but I finally got smart and changed the minimum nights from 2 to 5. Now most of the guests book 7 to 10 nights.
