How safe do you think you are while renting a home or hotel? While using the bathroom on a recent stay away from home, someone opened my hotel door! I had barely checked in 20 minutes ago and was scared beyond a feeling of walking in House of Torment in Austin. I rushed downstairs ( of course after washing my hands) and asked the staff to check my concern. In a nonchalant tone of “Oh it was probably the Housekeeper or maintenance” I asked to move rooms. I still didn’t feel safe so here’s what I decided.
TRUST NO ONE
I am trusting a hotel, AirBnb or HomeAWay to keep me safe, but someone always will have access to my room or house I’m renting to protect them on their end. So it was time to protect myself and self check how I trusted. If you have hired a Housecleaning service in Austin you know you are handing your keys over to a company/person that will clean a home filled with all of your personal possessions. If you are given a key while on vacation you are trusting that the Homeowner of the AirBnb, Hotel or HomeAway takes safety and privacy as a big of a concern as you do in your own home right? WRONG!
1. The 🔐 Lock
Addalock is a portable door lock that fits in the palm of your hand. I bought mine on Amazon. If someone uses a key to open the lock you locked they cannot open it until you remove the Addalock from the inside. I now have a few of these and they stay in my luggage. While providing housecleaning services in Austin we notice that only 75% of our clients use a security system. So while traveling I think about the turnaround in the home or hotel I am renting and no longer put 100% trust in who I am renting from. No security system, and I don’t know who may have a code to enter is enough to make me Addalock.
THE AIR 💨
Encourage? How about require? Well that’s what I get for trusting again. I recommend that you pack a mobile carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide can’t be seen or heard and is the silent killer.
A mobile smoke detector should be added to the list as well. You can also buy a mobile Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector all in one kit.
THE BED
Let me tell you about the time I stayed at the Four Reasons…..If you don’t get it…. then don’t worry! Well one season while staying at the Four Reasons 🤐 I pulled the sheets off for the housekeepers to make their job easier and I found a surprise. Under the top mattress pad was a soiled bed that looked resembled a bed someone abandoned in an apartment we cleaned in Austin, TX. I alerted management and they stated they were going through a remodel. Well this mattress was far beyond remodel timing! Before resting your head on the bed do these two things. Pull the mattress from the wall and look in the seam of the mattress for bed bugs. Don’t trust the star level of the hotel you’re staying in or the raving reviews online for the HomeAway site. Then check the mattress to make sure it’s clean or has a padding to protect you from what can seep through the sheets.
THE FLAME 🔥
Wouldn’t you rather light a flame of love rather than a home or hotel on fire on your next stay away from home? Well if you plan on breaking the rules and lighting a candle on your next stay away from home be aware! Check to see if there is a fire extinguisher close by, and that it’s date is not expired.
Better safe than sorry!