How to sanitise your cabin in 10 quick steps

Cruise lines are paying careful attention to cleaning, sanitising and disinfecting their ships from bow to stern with hospital-grade disinfectant, thanks to the coronavirus.

But if you want to have real peace of mind, then make sure you disinfect your cabin yourself after you board the ship.

Here’s how you can sanitise your cabin or suite in 10 quick steps.

Arm yourself with disinfectant spray or bleach wipes

Make sure you get hospital-grade cleaning materials which have bleach. Buy disposal gloves, mask and a zip-bag to protect yourself when you clean all surfaces including table tops, desk and arms of chairs.

Wipe down all door handles and light switches

These are frequently touched by everyone in your cabin, from housekeeping to visitors. Give them a good wipe down from the first day you board the ship and repeat it every day.

Wash all provided glassware

All glassware used for drinking or rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth must be washed thoroughly before use.

Pay extra attention to bathroom surfaces

Bathrooms are known to attract germs so spend sometime to wipe down all hard surfaces including the toilet seat, lid and push button with anti-bacterial disinfectant.

Wash your hands

If you have been walking around the ship, touching elevator buttons and railings, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. Put on a pair of disposable gloves if you want to wipe down any surfaces in your cabin.

Put your remote control in a zip-bag

The television remote control is often touched by many people including housekeeping crew and previous guests. Pick up the remote with a pair of gloves or a piece of tissue and place it in a zip-bag so that you can still operate the remote without touching the surface.

Disinfect and sanitise the phone

For the same reason as the remote control, the phone is touched by almost everyone and more often than not, it collects germs. Clean the phone, especially the mouthpiece thoroughly before using it.

Wipe down your balcony furniture

You should also make sure that you wipe down your outdoor balcony furniture including arm rests, table top and lounge seats.

Remove all decorative bedspreads and pillows

While bed linens are changed frequently, decorative pillows and bedspreads are not always laundered between sailings. Remove these items from the bed and store them in a closet or ask the cabin steward to take the items out of the room.

Wash your hands again and again

It is always wise to wash your hands frequently especially when you return to your cabin after a day of excursions or activities on board the ship. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and very warm water for at least 20 seconds.