It's been a month since new cleaning initiative was announced-- when will we see details?

[Lisa723]

https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/coming-soon-a-new-enhanced-cleaning-initiative-for-...

@Lizzie @Stephanie @Quincy @Airbnb 

When will we get more information on this?

[Louise0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 Exactly, it's all a bit silly - yet another pointless, feel good, tick-the-box compliance exercise for PR purposes.   

I wish they'd pour their energies into fixing all the bugs in the platform instead.  It's falling apart.  In the last 3 months it's gone from the occasional glitch to a bug-infested mess.

[Mika8]

.. sorry, but this cleaning protocols was only PR from airbnb, that the guests will book our homes in the near future.

About persistence of the virus .. the corona virus is an enveloped virus and the lipid-envelope is quite fragil. Normal breathing of an infected person probably leeds to small airdroplets which could probably be harmful when you directly breath them in. On surfaces you could compare this small droplets and bigger droplets from coughing or sneezing, like you spread 1 liter of water all over your room or you put 1 Liter of water in a can in your room. The spreaded water will vaporise very soon, whereas the water in the can would rest for longer .. and so in small airdroplets probably the virus will dry out very soon (which destroys its envelope). Nevertheless, of course, we don't know if a previous guest only breath out some virus particles or was very lazy and touched with contaminated hands and bigger droplets everywhere.

At the moment it seems that the risk to catch the virus from surfaces (without big cough/sneeze droplets) is quite rare (as the viral load is also important as the virus has to overcome your intrinsic barriers like mucus in the lung which is less likely with a low load). To air a room and deep clean touched stuff like knobs etc. seems to be necessary, plus even more important that we don't touch with our hands in our face.

The many 'probably' in the text came from the fact that I'm a virologist but not a specialist for Sars-CoV2 (I work with viruses for gene therapy) .. so, this is general knowledge about enveloped viruses plus many studies read in the last days about Sars-CoV2 .. but there are many open questions yet.

[Helen350]

Your perspective ^,as a VIROLOGIST,  is a reassuring voice of sanity, reason & balance, @Mika8 ! 

@Rob7148 , @Sarah977 , @Mark116 , @Mike-And-Jane0 , @Lisa723 , @Helen427 , @Helen3 

[Lisa723]

@Mika8 @Helen350 

Thanks, but beside the point. I can get current scientific information directly from reliable sources. I don't come to this forum for that (though plenty of people here and everywhere are eager to offer their view of it, most often completely unfounded).

My question is to Airbnb, and it relates to Airbnb's follow-through on the marketing initiative it announced, which is now overdue according to its own announcements and which directly affects my business. Only Airbnb can answer that.

@lizzie said "soon" but with no definition of "soon" that's a non-answer.

[Helen350]

I assumed @Mika8  IS a reliable source @Lisa723  - being a virologist!

[Lisa723]

@Helen350 well, there's no way to know without verifying @Mika8's actual identity and qualifications etc.. (Not that I doubt it-- their post is entirely consistent with current information from known reliable sources.) But again, totally beside the point wrt. the question my post asked.

[Helen350]

Sorry to have annoyed you @Lisa723  with 'irrelevant' info! (Honestly wasn't trying to cause trouble!)

- My rational for commenting was that in the light of @Mika8 's comment, Airbnb's 'enhanced cleaning protacol' seems a pointless waste of time - imo - serving only to make THEM look  good, whilst giving us more work & fewer bookings! (As other hosts said.)

It's also culturally inappropriate.... Maybe American guests will like, but I suspect most Brits couldn't care less!

[Lisa723]

If I'm annoyed, it's only at @Airbnb for yet another sloppy roll-out that leaves hosts dangling.

I'm not annoyed at you, and I apologize for appearing to be so. I'm just focussed on what matters to me.  🙂 

[Helen350]

Agree 100% with the 'leaving hosts dangling' @Lisa723 . Indeed, very annoying!

[Mika8]

@Lisa723  .. as said .. I guess, the reason for airbnb to implement the cleaning protocol was only a big PR strategy that the guests feel safe .. as so often, you (you = the 'standard' guest) read something and then never scrutinize it. The guests have read that they are safe with airbnb houses as airbnb do something .. what this 'something' is and if this is really practiced is not the point .. the main thing is that the guests have read it and believe it.  (good for us 😉 )

But yeah, of course, if airbnb announce something, they should do it, especally if they announce it with a specific date (but did they say May 20? probably they mean May 21?).

@Helen350Thank you for your trust! But as I said, I'm not a specialist of Sars-CoV2 (as nobody is at the time) .. and it seems that Sars-CoV2 is more contagious than some other virus, but it also seems that good hygiene measurements AND social distance is a very good way to avoid an infection and to bring the new cases near zero (as we could see in many european country).

My cleaning procedure is therefore pragmatic and simple. Used rooms are like public area, meaning, I don't touch my face until I have washed my hands, plus first I air the rooms (and as said, more detailed cleaning/sanitizing for knobs, switches etc.). I have no fear during cleaning, as the risk is minimal .. nevertheless I have to admit that I don't belong to any risk group, if this would be the case I would be more careful.

Further at the moment I only have recurrent guests which I already knew (they are regularly here few days a week for work). No tourists at the moment .. in regards to tourists I guess we have to be aware that people who travel at the moment probably don't take the risk too serious and therefore are at higher risk to get infected (especially if you travel by plane .. by private car you could take better measurements to protect yourself).

If I would get a tourist at the moment, I would point out my cleaning procedure but would also mention that accomodations should be considered as public area at least the first three days.

[Lisa723]

@Lizzie @Mika8 @Helen350 @Kat162 @Mark116 @Sarah977 

Just noticed my listings now have a new "cleaning" tab to sign up for this. No announcement or notice I guess is just par for the course.

[Sarah977]

@Lisa723  Yes, apparently this has been available for several days- I read about it on another forum and posted about it last night: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Circle/Cleaning-quot-certification-quot-is-offered-online/m...

Unreal that Airbnb didn't think this was worth letting us know about considering hosts have been asking here when this will be available. So much for Mr. Chesky apologizing for not keeping hosts in the loop. Business as usual.

[Mark116]

@Lisa723  Thanks, LOL, I probably wouldn't have noticed it for another few days since we still have no bookings or inquiries, but yes, we have it, so they must have rolled it out if not globally then at least everywhere in the US.  Its so odd that they don't notify hosts of this kind of thing.

[Maia29]

I've joined the initiative and have been following the new guidelines since May, and I block off three days between guests. It's not that big of a deal. I doubt I'll get a "badge" for my listing, though, because I've noticed Airbnb isn't very consistent.

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

@Lisa723, @Maia29, @Mark116, @Sarah977, @Mika8, @Helen350, @Mike-And-Jane0, @Kat162, @Melissa63, @Pat271, 

I just wanted to update you, that the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol, has just gone live for US hosts. We've just shared an update here in the Community Center, which has all the relevant information and links to learn more. Take a look here. 

This will be launched in other countries soon. Once I have more idea of a date, I'll let you know.

Thank you so much for all your patience with this. 

Lizzie