I would understand if these rooms were meant for people with allergies but these are the latest addition to hotels for those obsessed with the cleanliness factor.
The natural human body sheds 150,000 cells a day these people don’t want to breathe in the almost invisible stuff left in a hotel room by the last person there.
What treatment does a hypoallergenic hotel room undergo?
It is a seven-step process to cut down on bacteria, pollen, dust, dust mites and other possible irritants, everything in the room, from the curtains to the carpeting to the air-conditioning units, was cleaned and treated with an antimicrobial agent that attacks bacteria.
• A cartridge containing tea tree oil, a natural antiseptic and disinfectant, is installed in the heating and cooling unit.
• The room undergoes a four-hour ozone shock treatment to kill any remaining living organisms and finish off associated odors.
• A mist is applied to surfaces to make it difficult for bacteria to grow.
• Mattresses and pillowcases are covered with dust-mite protectors.
All hotels seem to have become gripped with this, some are ripping out carpets and drapes, which tend to harbor dust and trap odors, and replacing them with smooth surfaces.
Others are making less visible changes, outfitting pillows and mattresses with liners that help contain dust mites and swabbing phones, doorknobs and other surfaces with antimicrobial agents.
Other hotels see the creation of super-clean rooms as a way to gain an edge now that amenities like plush beds and flat-screen TVs have often become standard. Most hotels even charge a little extra for these type of rooms.
Pure Solutions advertises its Pure Room as ‘allergy-friendly,’ while Environmental Technology Solutions says its Enviro-Room ‘reduces airborne and surface particulates.’
Unlike Pure Solutions, which treats the existing hotel room, Environmental Technology Solutions renovates the space to create its Enviro-Rooms. Rugs are ripped out and replaced with hardwood floors, and curtains with wooden blinds, and the entire room, from the all-cotton linens on the bed to the special porous wallpaper, is designed with allergen-sensitive guests in mind.
What I really wonder about is the energy costs of creating such rooms. How much pollution goes into the environment to make such rooms? Are these add-on essentially required? Can not clean sheets, clean curtains qand lots of fresh air and sunshine solve the purpose?
Source: The New York Times
