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#026: Teresa Luttrell, Enliven B&B Innkeeper and the “Queen of Hygiene”, Provides Amazing Suggestions for Truly Effective Cleaning in the Post-COVID-19 World

#026: Teresa Luttrell, Enliven B&B Innkeeper and the “Queen of Hygiene”, Provides Amazing Suggestions for Truly Effective Cleaning in the Post-COVID-19 World

by | Jun 10, 2020 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts

For episode #26 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Teresa Luttrell, the owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast. Located in Kenmore, Washington, Enliven Bed and Breakfast is a chemical- and fragrance-free inn, and Teresa provides some amazing cleaning and disinfecting tips for innkeepers looking to re-open their properties this summer.

With various U.S. states launching new COVID-19 guidelines for businesses to re-open, many innkeepers are developing strategies for opening their properties for the summer season.

Providing guests with the utmost confidence that their properties are clean, disinfected and safe is paramount for innkeepers. And, traditional cleaning strategies are just not enough in these challenging times.

As a pioneer in owning a chemical- and fragrance-free inn, Teresa Luttrell, the owner of Enliven Bed and Breakfast, provides a deep-dive take on what innkeepers can do to keep their properties safe for guests – from hard and soft surfaces, air, drains, and much more.  Her kids have dubbed her the “Crazy Hygiene Lady” but we prefer to call her the “Queen of Hygiene.”

Teresa also runs chemicalfreeinns.com, a new online information resource that provides information on the best cleaning and filtration products for innkeepers.

Following are highlights from our interview:

  • About Enliven Bed and Breakfast, and Teresa’s background as an expert in cleaning and disinfecting for keeping guests safe. (1:21)
  • What biofilms are and why innkeepers need to embrace disinfection strategies for removing them. (3:55)
  • About Hypochlorous Acid‎ and why it’s a breakthrough cleaning ingredient for disinfecting surfaces, removing air-borne pathogens, and why it’s not harmful for guests. (11:34)
  • Tips for cleaning surfaces through advanced steam vapor systems. (19:56)
  • How much time it will take for innkeepers to use a steam vapor system to clean various areas in a property. (25:55)
  • How much it costs to use a steam vapor system, and what solution is best for smaller inns. (30:52)
  • What innkeepers can do to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through the air. (35:55)
  • Overlooked areas of an inn that should be cleaned and disinfected. (41:42)
  • Why hygiene is the new luxury when it comes to innkeeping today. (43:42)
  • How Teresa can help other innkeepers through her chemicalfreeinns.com website. (44:15)

We are very thankful to Teresa for sharing her insights with us!  Be sure to listen to our previous podcast with Teresa here, and can learn more about Enliven Bed and Breakfast by visiting their website.

#025: Brian Ontiveros-Kersch with Bed Bug Advisor Discusses Bed Bug Mitigation for Innkeepers

#025: Brian Ontiveros-Kersch with Bed Bug Advisor Discusses Bed Bug Mitigation for Innkeepers

by | May 26, 2020 | Frictionless Innkeeper Podcasts

For episode #25 of the Frictionless Innkeeper podcast series, we speak with Brian Ontiveros-Kersch, of Bed Bug Advisor, an organization that provides educational resources for the treatment and elimination of bed bugs.

While many people don’t often think about bed bugs, they can be a tremendous nuisance for independent hotels and inns. And unfortunately, they are on the rise, with a logical reason for their exponential growth over the years.

Between 1941 and 1982, the U.S. government launched a campaign to spray pesticides like DDT to manage mosquito populations to drive down the spread of West Nile Virus. This campaign also helped to eradicate the U.S. bed bug population.  

Unfortunately though, DDT had a negative impact on bald eagle populations, and the U.S. government halted this effort. As a result, between 1982 and 2001, there was a 500 percent increase in the population size, and during 2004 to 2011, we saw 13,000 percent increase.

This tremendous growth was also a result of bed bugs spreading from more people traveling, both internationally and domestically, due to cheaper airfares available in the wake of 9/11. With more people flying during this time, there were more people staying in hotels, inns and home sharing offerings, making the spread even greater.

Comprised of the top researchers and entomologists in this specialized arena, Bed Bug Advisor is the preeminent organization that provides the best informational resources for bed bug mitigation.

According to Brian Ontiveros-Kersch, with Bed Bug Advisor, there is no “best treatment” when it comes to bed bugs. In this podcast, Brian provides detailed insights into the history of bed bugs, the psychological impact of bed bugs, the best mitigation strategies for innkeepers, and much more.

  • The history of bed bugs in the U.S. (1:17)
  • About Bed Bug Advisors. (6:10)
  • The physical aspects of bed bugs. (11:00)
  • How B&B owners can identify if they have a bed bug infestation. (17:20)
  • The best options for bed bug identification and treatment. (19:17)
  • The psychological impact of bed bugs. (30:55)
  • How there is no “silver bullet” for proactively preventing bed bugs. (36:15)
  • Insights on the best kind of bed bug traps and prevention tools available on the market. (38:40)
  • How the global bed bug problem will be ongoing in the future. (46:09)
  • Insights into the business model behind Bed Bug Advisor. (48:03)
  • Why using rubbing alcohol for bed bug treatment is very dangerous. (52:49)

We are very thankful to Brian for sharing his insights with us!  You can learn more about Bed Bug Advisor by visiting their website.