New, strongly-worded cleaning guidance

[Pat271]

Airbnb needs to remove steps from its cleaning protocol, other than recommending the thorough cleaning we have always done.

I and others have posted about this before, but this recent CDC has issued even more strongly worded verbiage on the subject.

The article below is entitled “Has the Era of Overzealous Cleaning Finally Come to an End?”

 https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/q88kIFvWJ7ALaQu49d-qYQ~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiUrJaP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubn...

Note: Protection from airborne particles, like letting the home air out, using masks, etc. are a different issue, and these precautions are still recommended at this time, at least in the US.

@Stephanie  I’m sure Airbnb is following the news on current guidance, but please reiterate to them that their cleaning protocols are outdated. Hosts have been leaving Airbnb because of being forced to comply with these outdated policies.

[Emilia42]

@Pat271 

Honest question ... Do you really see Airbnb (or any other big company) backing down from this now? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Emilia42 In answer to your question - Yes I do think Airbnb will back down now BUT I fear they are not grown up enough to do so properly but will probably just update their cleaning protocol to remove all but 'normal' cleaning. Oh and they probably won't actually tell anyone it has been updated or change the issue number!

[Pat271]

@Emilia42 Sure, why not, if current science warrants it? They made decisions on policy based on what they thought was the best information available at the time. As more is known and proven, it behooves them to keep up, whether it is with an abundance of caution, or relaxed restrictions. Do you think they will stick to outdated guidance?

[Emilia42]

@Pat271 Yes, I do because I don't think it has (or ever had) anything to do with "science." Airbnb needs guests to have the perception that all Airbnbs are rigorously cleaned and "sanitized." Regardless of whether or not the host is actually doing it. In reality, guests should have been under the impression that hosts were always following a protocol similar to this between each guest, way before covid. So for Airbnb to make a public statement that the Enhanced Cleaning Protocols are no longer needed would be a bad move to their current PR campaign.

[Pat271]

@Emilia42 I understand what you are saying.

I still think that they can “spin” it in a way that demonstrates that they are just keeping current and following CDC guidance.

Besides, apparently Airbnb have been making cleaning protocol changes lately without any fanfare, like removing the requirement to wash curtains between each guest. They just need to catch up with the rest of the changes.

[Belinda55]

@Pat271 And apart from taking note of current best practice, they need to acknowledge that globally there are very different situations. Hosts should be adhering to local government health guidance, not a heavy handed global policy from Airbnb. I am in Australia and not going along with their bullying, my calendar now blocked so hosting elsewhere.

[Stephen1156]

I definitely believe that it's time Airbnb reviewed the COVID-cleaning and hosting protocols and modified them to country-specific levels. As @Belinda55 notes, here in Australia there is virtually no community transmission, quarantining is heavily controlled, and state or local guidance and governance is showing the best way forward in most cases. I can only assume similar situations exist elsewhere.

So, more restrictive policies should be in place for those places where COVID transmission remains an issue, and less restrictive guidance in other places (Australia and NZ are two of several, as are places like Taiwan and Vietnam where COVID cases are very low). As an example, in our region we are required to use an app to check in to venues such as shops and cafes, we definitely physically distance, we use sanitiser when we go to those places. Businesses such as hotels and shops clean more thoroughly than they might have in the past. But there are no local requirements for gloves and masks.

There is definitely room here for nation and region-specific policies.

As an aside, except for the mask and glove requirements we are still required to follow, we already cleaned our place beyond what is required; something we were pleased to realise.

[Ria16]

I’ve deleted my listing here in New Zealand  

If I don’t have to wear a mask at the busy hospital where I work , or at concerts , restaurants etc. 

Im not going to wear a mask to greet arriving guests .

[Stephen1156]

Well, exactly. You're absolutely right.

The existing restrictive policies made sense when we were all under more risky levels of COVID transmission. They no longer do.

[Pat271]

Although regional differences are of course relevant, the CDC is referring more to the fact that the scientific understanding of the behavior of the virus has improved, and it is now believed that the virus is almost never spread through surfaces. And the word “almost” is added only as a CYA. There have actually been *no* documented cases of surface infection, which was the original concern that caused the disinfecting frenzy. It is now believed that there is not enough of a viral load on surfaces to cause infection and illness. Airborne droplets and particle transmission are the predominant culprits.

We should all be doing a thorough job cleaning our surfaces and laundering our linens, and hopefully we all have been doing that all along. We should not, however, be removing the paint and varnish from our walls and surfaces by going on a chemical disinfecting spree after every guest. This is true regardless of region.