To stay healthy on a ship, avoid the public toilets

[Fontana]

(I have also added these media article in the Oceania thread here on the Board)

 

To stay healthy on a ship, avoid the public toilets

 

 

November 18, 2009 - 3:07PM

 

Going on a cruise? To cut your risk of getting sick while sailing the high seas, avoid using the ship's public bathrooms.

 

Researchers have found that only 37 per cent of 273 randomly selected public restrooms on cruise ships that were checked on 1546 occasions were cleaned at least daily, with the toilet seat the best cleaned of six evaluated objects.

 

On 275 occasions no objects in a restroom were cleaned for at least 24 hours with baby changing tables found to be the least thoroughly cleaned object.

 

Researcher Philip Carling, of Carney Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, said public toilet seats and flush devices, stall handholds and door handles, inner restroom door handles, and baby changing tables "on most, but not all, cruise ships" are not being cleaned and disinfected thoroughly.

 

"There was a substantial potential for washed hands to become contaminated while the passenger was exiting the restroom, given that only 35 per cent of restroom exit knobs or pulls were cleaned daily," Carling said in a statement.

 

"Only disinfection cleaning by cruise ship staff can reasonably be expected to mitigate these risks."

Lack of disinfection, he and colleagues from the Cambridge Health Alliance and Tufts University School of Medicine, noted in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, may significantly increase risk for illness, and particularly for the severe diarrhea and vomiting caused by highly contagious norovirus.

 

Carling told Reuters Health that cruise passengers should minimize public restroom use, wash hands with soap and water rather than alcohol-based hand rubs, and be aware of the disease transmission potential from all publicly touched surfaces.

 

For the study, Carling's group enlisted 46 health professionals to check 273 randomly selected public restrooms daily during cruises between July 2005 and August 2008.

 

The ships most originated from US ports and 82 per cent from the five largest cruise lines.

Armed with handheld ultraviolet lights to pick up florescent traces of a transparent, but easily cleanable solution they had previously sprayed on surfaces, the cleaning spies identified surfaces left uncleaned for 24 hours. Toilet seats were the best-cleaned object. Of the 2,010 toilet seats evaluated, 50 per cent had been cleaned. They found 42 per cent of toilet flush devices, 37 per cent of toilet stall doors, and 31 per cent of stall handhold bars had been cleaned.

 

Only 35 per cent of interior bathroom door handles and 29 per cent of baby changing tables had been cleaned. Post-outbreak cleaning and disinfection practices on cruise ships, although important, are not enough, the researchers say. Increased efforts to prevent outbreaks with better disinfection practices are clearly needed.

 

Reuters

 

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/to-stay-healthy-on-a-ship-avoid-the-public-toilets-20091118-ilxu.html

[LSEA]

 

To stay healthy on a ship, avoid the public toilets

 

 

November 18, 2009 - 3:07PM

 

Going on a cruise? To cut your risk of getting sick while sailing the high seas, avoid using the ship's public bathrooms.

 

 

Reuters

 

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/to-stay-healthy-on-a-ship-avoid-the-public-toilets-20091118-ilxu.html

 

Wouldn't this be the situation in any public restroom? Noro is everywhere. Schools, hospitals, office buildings, shopping malls... Media reports would leave one to believe this is a cruise ship only problem. Hardly the case.

 

Interesting article though, thanks for posting it. And the advice about hand washing instead of using alcohol based sanitizers is a good reminder. Sanitizers have their place but I agree with others that say it discourages hand washing which is the best line of defense against noro.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the article.

 

I also agree -- people use public restrooms everywhere besides on a ship.

 

And sometimes you have no choice when the toilet in your cabin isn't working.

[lettienets]

I just got off the new Carnival Dream transatlantic last week and in every public washroom on the ship, on the door leaving the washroom was a container of toilet paper sheets to use on the handles on the way out and a container in which to throw the paper.

And there were new super powerful and fast hand dryers.

[innlady1]

I just got off the new Carnival Dream transatlantic last week and in every public washroom on the ship, on the door leaving the washroom was a container of toilet paper sheets to use on the handles on the way out and a container in which to throw the paper.

And there were new super powerful and fast hand dryers.

 

Those new and fast hand dryers are awesome. Also, the new toilets that flush automatically, and the faucets that go one by themselves. I also like the "new" style public restrooms without the doors. No handles to touch that way. However, in lieu of that, I always grab a paper towel to open the door with, and if there are none (just electronic hand dryers) I use my sleeve.

 

Lettie...how was your cruise?

[DavidPatrick]

A while ago Consumer Reports magazine did a study on restroom door handles and Gym benches. In 100 percent of the tests there was fecal matter on the door handles and on the benches. ADA rules specify that all bathrooms have a basket withing 2 feet of the door to throw waste paper into, so that bathroom users can open the door with a piece of paper and have a place to throw it in. On some HAL ships there are only small wash clothes to wipe your hands on and you have to use one of those to open the door with. The door is usually within throwing distance from the hamper for the used cloths.:)

[CRUZBUDS]

Than's another argument for the smaller HAL ships.

 

We had a great central location on the Zaandam a couple of weeks ago. We were never more than a five minute walk to our cabin from anywhere.

No need to use the public restrooms!

 

I imagine you could have quite a trek on the Oasis of the Seas to use your own restroom.

[Luke Warmwater]

As one who had Noro on a cruise to Hawaii (Sun Princess) Ihve got used to openign the door with paper in my hand after washing. Can I just add that, if you take all the precautions outlined above, do the same after handling paper money. No end of germs on that!!! Never put your hands or fingers near your nose and mouth and never touch the underside of chairs to pull the chair closer to the table.

[woody14h]

Here is another note on the same.

 

 

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34000562/ns/travel-cruising/

[jtl513]

Wouldn't this be the situation in any public restroom? Noro is everywhere. Schools, hospitals, office buildings, shopping malls... Media reports would leave one to believe this is a cruise ship only problem. Hardly the case.

One of the worst places is airplane lavatories. That probably means that airport bathrooms are pretty bad too.

[Kluge]

I was concerned about norovirus before my last cruise. But I realized that before I set foot on the ship, I had:

a. Traveled in a public shuttle from the parking lot to the airport

b. Sat in the airport for 2 hours (plane delayed) ate at a busy airport restaurant and used a public restroom.

c. Sat in a plane, using a fold-down tray that hadn't been cleaned since the last passenger, and used the airplane restroom during the 5 hour flight.

d. Repeat b. and c. for the second leg of the flight.

e. Rode in a taxi from the airport to the hotel I stayed at the night before the cruise.

f. Stayed in a hotel and had a drink sitting at the bar.

g. Rode in a taxi the next morning before going to the cruise port.

h. Rode in a taxi to the cruise port.

i. Sat in a crowded public departure lounge at the cruise port before boarding.

 

Seems like the sparkling-clean ship accommodations were the last thing I needed to worry about!

[Typhoon1]

ANY Public toilet is probably overpopulated with germs.

[rjm1cc]

My experience is that the restrooms look a lot cleaner than those on land.

But the point is well taken that you have to be careful.

[airlink diva]

One of the worst places is airplane lavatories. That probably means that airport bathrooms are pretty bad too.

 

Hey not all aircraft bathrooms!! I often stay late some nights to clean overnight aircrafts and my pet peeve is a nasty bathroom. They often have to tell me to tone down the bleach and cleaners because I put some muscle in it!!! That include the vents,behind the door,baby changing area and floor!!!

 

 

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Now playing: Jessye Norman, Daniel Barenboim & Wolfram Christ - Geistliches Wiegenlied, Op. 91, No. 2

via FoxyTunes

[pipedreams62]

A while ago Consumer Reports magazine did a study on restroom door handles and Gym benches. In 100 percent of the tests there was fecal matter on the door handles and on the benches. ADA rules specify that all bathrooms have a basket withing 2 feet of the door to throw waste paper into, so that bathroom users can open the door with a piece of paper and have a place to throw it in. On some HAL ships there are only small wash clothes to wipe your hands on and you have to use one of those to open the door with. The door is usually within throwing distance from the hamper for the used cloths.:)

 

 

[suse]

It's pretty awful. I try not to think about these things. Ever. Honest. Too much. Let's face it. Life's hard enough.:)

But, I will say that HAL's restrooms look pretty clean to me. Better than most. You know how it is in some fine restaurants? The food may be awesome but you'll never step foot in that joint again after seeing the bathroom. Well, it's not like that on the ship.

[pipedreams62]

It's pretty awful. I try not to think about these things. Ever. Honest. Too much. Let's face it. Life's hard enough.:)

But, I will say that HAL's restrooms look pretty clean to me. Better than most. You know how it is in some fine restaurants? The food may be awesome but you'll never step foot in that joint again after seeing the bathroom. Well, it's not like that on the ship.

 

 

I always found the restrooms spotless imaculate,and always saw someone making sure they were.

[suse]

I always found the restrooms spotless imaculate,and always saw someone making sure they were.

I'm kind of a nut about cleanliness and they do a great job. If they were really dirty, why would anyone bother to cruise. I mean, it's not like camping. Those outhouses. Yick. From Girl Scout days. Ugh. No, I don't like to camp. My parents made me.:)

[OleSalt]

More hand washing, less hand wringing,

[pipedreams62]

I'm kind of a nut about cleanliness and they do a great job. If they were really dirty, why would anyone bother to cruise. I mean, it's not like camping. Those outhouses. Yick. From Girl Scout days. Ugh. No, I don't like to camp. My parents made me.:)

 

 

My idea of camping is at the "Sequoia Hilton"

[suse]

My idea of camping is at the "Sequoia Hilton"

Yeah, I'm looking at the Ritz in San Juan and their prices have really come down! Beats camping. And the spa! Fantastic! Don't know when I'll get back there but fun dreaming.

[room010]

I love sleeping under the stars...... 5 stars.

 

Seriously, you can give people immaculate bathroom facilities but if they don't follow the basic hygiene protocols on hand washing, etc, it's pretty pointless. I admit I usually go back to my cabin to freshen up but I've always had a "thing" about public restrooms anyway and not just on ships. And yes, these places often look spotless. Unfortunately it's the bugs and bacteria you can't see that cause the problem.

 

We all have a mutual responsibility to ensure everyone's wellbeing by taking a couple of minutes with some soap and hot water and even the hand sanitizers are better than nothing. Unfortunately there are still plenty of people who don't see the necessity to use either :mad:

[nu2sea]

Those new and fast hand dryers are awesome. Also, the new toilets that flush automatically, and the faucets that go one by themselves. I also like the "new" style public restrooms without the doors. No handles to touch that way. However, in lieu of that, I always grab a paper towel to open the door with, and if there are none (just electronic hand dryers) I use my sleeve.

 

Lettie...how was your cruise?

 

Yikes, public restrooms without doors? :eek: Could you please expand on that a little?

[mamaofami]

When last I cruised, HAL had paper towels near the doors of public restrooms and a basket next to the door to throw the towel in after you used it to open the door. That's more than you'll find in any restaurant, airport, or any public bathroom.

I too want to know about bathrooms without doors?

[parrotfeathers]

I think they are speaking of the general restroom entry (like at an airport and I think Walmarts use them)? The stalls themselves still have doors.