Oh Yuk

[sharkaymon]

This is going to be a "yukky" post. :p On our Alaskan cruise on Carnival Legend this summer we will have a jetted tub in our bathroom. Sounds like fun but I'm hesitant to use it because the last time I used one on a cruise a teeny tiny hair came spurting out midway into my bath. I was grossed out.

 

A friend told me about Oh Yu jetted bathtub cleaner. He used it on his tub at home and even though it was a yukky experience during the actual cleaning he was assured that the tub and the jets were clean afterwards. The actual cleaning took several rounds of filling, jetting and draining and during that time a rather unpleasant substance came out of the jets.:eek:

 

I would really like to use the tub and I'm considering bring an unopened, sealed 16 oz. bottle of Oh Yuk in my checked luggage.

 

Could there be a problem with the luggage checkers? :confused:

[sharkaymon]

sorry for the mistake. It is called Oh Yuk jetted bathtub cleaner, not "Oh Yu":o

[DebJ14]

Our whirlpool bath says to run dishwasher soap through the system every so often. Lots of yucky stuff comes out and we rarely turn on the jets - just use it like a regular tub. I can't imagine how filthy it is if used regularly - all that soap scum etc.

[AdGuyMG]

Could there be a problem with the luggage checkers? :confused:

 

As long as it's not a flammable liquid it will be fine.

[Taters]

Pack it in your luggage and it will be fine. The cruise line should thank you!

[Crazyrbbt]

I was thinking about how to clean the tub as well. I just checked the reviews on amazon about this product and have now decided I just will not use the tub. It says so much stuff comes out that it's gross. I don't want to deal with that in vacation.

[chengkp75]

Per the USPH sanitation regulations, all personal use (in cabin, or on balcony, with capacity less than 4 people, and only private access) jetted tubs must be sanitized with a 10ppm chlorine solution (the same concentration as the public hot tubs onboard) for 60 minutes, between guests or weekly, whichever is more frequent. So, while the hair was gross, it was at least clean, and the tub is far cleaner than most jetted tubs at home.

[Sue Do-Over]

Remember that all the water on board is collected and reprocessed. They filter the drinking and cooking water many many times, but reuse the gray sink/tub/shower water. It gets filtered a couple of times and used again for other purposes, while the toilet water goes through a different system.

 

PLEASE don't introduce a strange chemical to the water supply that could damage their filtering systems or corrode connections.

 

The chlorine they sanitize with breaks down into salt water, and is safe for the systems... your special chemical might not, and could impact the water quality for the entire ship.

 

For perspective... in Flint, Michigan, they changed water supplies, which altered the chemical makeup of the water, and caused corrosion to the pipes, and has poisoned an entire city. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be the cause of widespread illness or damage that could cost millions.

[chengkp75]

Remember that all the water on board is collected and reprocessed. They filter the drinking and cooking water many many times, but reuse the gray sink/tub/shower water. It gets filtered a couple of times and used again for other purposes, while the toilet water goes through a different system.

 

PLEASE don't introduce a strange chemical to the water supply that could damage their filtering systems or corrode connections.

 

The chlorine they sanitize with breaks down into salt water, and is safe for the systems... your special chemical might not, and could impact the water quality for the entire ship.

 

For perspective... in Flint, Michigan, they changed water supplies, which altered the chemical makeup of the water, and caused corrosion to the pipes, and has poisoned an entire city. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be the cause of widespread illness or damage that could cost millions.

 

Whoa, pump the brakes. The water onboard is NOT "collected and reprocessed". I can't imagine who told that fairy tale to you. Perhaps you should go to the USPH/CDC website and download the VSP operations manual, all 300+ pages, to see what the requirements for drinking water and sanitation there are for cruise ships.

 

All of the water IS processed, by a sewage treatment plant, before discharge OVERBOARD. Gray water (sinks, showers, galley, laundry) and black water (toilets) are mixed together before going through the waste water treatment plant. What comes out of the waste water plant, IS nearly pure fresh water, but it is not allowed to be "re-used" for drinking. Some ships are allowed to use this water for very a very specific purpose. The galleys have massive garbage disposals that collect at a central point, using water to flow the ground food waste to this point. This water is recycled around the system, which is closed and isolated from all other water systems. It is dumped at the end of the day, and treated waste water may be used for this purpose.

 

If you look at the VSP manual, you will see an entire section on "cross-contamination" prevention in water systems, provided for by "back-flow preventers". These devices only allow water to flow in one direction, to prevent contamination of the drinking water system. These are fitted at the dishwashing machines, bar guns, galley sinks, and at every toilet and shower in every cabin. If they were recycling waste water as drinking water, would they care that much to prevent cross-contamination?

 

And chlorine does not break down into sea water, but sea water can be used to create chlorine.

 

And finally, the chlorination system onboard a ship is totally different than that in Flint, or any other city. Municipal systems chlorinate, or otherwise sanitize the water at the plant, and it then sits in the pipes, dissipating the sanitizing agent over time, until someone opens a valve and uses the water. Onboard ship, the water is pumped from a tank, through the ship, and back to the tank (this is all unused water, not something that has been in a sink or shower), and while being recirculated, it is constantly chlorinated, so there is always a measurable residual chlorine content at the farthest point from the injection point, as required by USPH.

[sparks1093]

Per the USPH sanitation regulations, all personal use (in cabin, or on balcony, with capacity less than 4 people, and only private access) jetted tubs must be sanitized with a 10ppm chlorine solution (the same concentration as the public hot tubs onboard) for 60 minutes, between guests or weekly, whichever is more frequent. So, while the hair was gross, it was at least clean, and the tub is far cleaner than most jetted tubs at home.

 

So what affect would "Oh Yuk" or similar products have on the onboard systems?

[ducklite]

Our whirlpool bath says to run dishwasher soap through the system every so often. Lots of yucky stuff comes out and we rarely turn on the jets - just use it like a regular tub. I can't imagine how filthy it is if used regularly - all that soap scum etc.

 

 

I also use dishwasher detergent on my jetted tub at home. I fill the tub to about four inches over the jets with steaming hot water, drop in a detergent tablet, and run it for about five minutes. Repeat twice with just hot water, and it's nice and clean. I also turn on the jets for a couple of seconds after I drain the tub to pump out any remaining water so it isn't sitting in the system getting yucky. It's not good to run the jets without water, but for a second or two to drain the water seems like it's better for the system than letting water remain in there for weeks or even months on end--I don't use the tub much. Of course this doesn't replace normal cleaning of the tub surface with a sponge and cleanser.

[ShakyBeef]

I use bleach tablets. Drop a couple in the tub, fill past the jets with hot water, let it run for about 15 minutes. Repeat. Then "rinse cycle" with plain, hot water.:) Bleach tablets are super-lightweight and won't spill and ruin anything in your luggage.;)

 

 

Here's the kind I use:

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Evolve-Original-Scent-Ultra-Concentrated-Bleach-Tablets-32-count-5.64-oz/31958722

[chengkp75]

So what affect would "Oh Yuk" or similar products have on the onboard systems?

 

No idea what the ingredients are, but given the small amount in the 1000-2000 tons a day processed by the waste water system, I would say none.

 

And given the OP's description of repeated cycles over several hours, who would want to? As I say, the tubs are sanitized weekly.

Edited January 24, 2016 by chengkp75

[chengkp75]

I also use dishwasher detergent on my jetted tub at home. I fill the tub to about four inches over the jets with steaming hot water, drop in a detergent tablet, and run it for about five minutes. Repeat twice with just hot water, and it's nice and clean. I also turn on the jets for a couple of seconds after I drain the tub to pump out any remaining water so it isn't sitting in the system getting yucky. It's not good to run the jets without water, but for a second or two to drain the water seems like it's better for the system than letting water remain in there for weeks or even months on end--I don't use the tub much. Of course this doesn't replace normal cleaning of the tub surface with a sponge and cleanser.

 

While the hot water may kill any bacteria, and the soap does its thing by breaking the surface tension and flushing bacteria off the piping into the tub, just know that this does not "sanitize" the system.

[ducklite]

While the hot water may kill any bacteria, and the soap does its thing by breaking the surface tension and flushing bacteria off the piping into the tub, just know that this does not "sanitize" the system.

 

 

True, although the only person who uses my tub is me, and I'm not really worried about my own germs. I stopped using tubs in hotels and on cruise ships quite some time ago. And to be honest, I have had jetted tubs in three cabins on three different ships, and based in the gook that came out when I turned them on, at least two were definitely not cleaned, sanitized, or run for an hour for cleaning/sanitizing purposes, so while the regulations might be written, they are not 100% being adhered to. :(

[sharkaymon]

Remember that all the water on board is collected and reprocessed. They filter the drinking and cooking water many many times, but reuse the gray sink/tub/shower water. It gets filtered a couple of times and used again for other purposes, while the toilet water goes through a different system.

 

PLEASE don't introduce a strange chemical to the water supply that could damage their filtering systems or corrode connections.

 

The chlorine they sanitize with breaks down into salt water, and is safe for the systems... your special chemical might not, and could impact the water quality for the entire ship.

 

For perspective... in Flint, Michigan, they changed water supplies, which altered the chemical makeup of the water, and caused corrosion to the pipes, and has poisoned an entire city. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be the cause of widespread illness or damage that could cost millions.

 

Excellent reply. I'd not considered this at all.:eek: I certainly want to use the jetted tub so I may ask the cabin steward if i can clean it myself using their accepted cleansers.

[chengkp75]

Excellent reply. I'd not considered this at all.:eek: I certainly want to use the jetted tub so I may ask the cabin steward if i can clean it myself using their accepted cleansers.

 

Excellent reply, but wrong on every point. :o

[StolidCruiser]

Excellent reply. I'd not considered this at all.:eek: I certainly want to use the jetted tub so I may ask the cabin steward if i can clean it myself using their accepted cleansers.

 

Excellent reply, but wrong on every point. :o

 

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink (pardon the pun). ;)