Question from Patricia
Hi Debra,
I continue to reference your website as the go to place for info on MCS safe products. Thank you!
I was wondering if you had ever heard of these allergen – free Pure Rooms? They use a multiple step process to clean and purify hotel rooms for people with allergies. There is also an air purifier in each room.
I have MCS and have been able to tolerate some of these rooms. I think the ones I was able to tolerate better were in hotels that hadn’t been remodeled recently.
Unfortunately, the number of Pure Rooms available at any hotels is dwindling. I’m guessing that the cost of maintaining the rooms and / or lack of bookings due to price is resulting in their demise. This is disappointing as these rooms were the only way I could get away for a little vacation.
Do you consider these Pure Rooms MCS safe due to the process used to purify? It seems that the Pure Rooms need more publicity and feedback so people will book them and then hotels could offer more of them.
Pat in Cleveland
Debra’s Answer
Well…not much information on their website.
I don’t see anything about what they do to make the rooms PURE.
Buried in a blog post I found this description of the air purifier:
Each PURE Room is treated according to a patented 7-step purification process and features an air-purifier powerful enough to be classified by the FDA as a Class II medical-grade device. Scientifically proven to eliminate and protect against 98-100% of viruses, bacteria and other harmful irritants, this technology provides superior air-quality and a more rejuvenating environment during recovery.
No mention is made of removing toxic gasses or heavy metals. Sounds like it basically and allergen filter, not a toxics filter.
I think it’s a great idea to have PURE rooms, but I’d like to see them have a toxic-free criteria.
And these rooms should be widely promoted so hotels will have more and more of them.
Oh here, I finally found a link to the PURE PROCESS on the page where you book a room:
Nothing refreshes a room like PURE. Our patented, 7-step purification process treats every surface, including the air, removing up to 99% of pollutants so you can breathe easy, and rest peacefully. PURE’s leading air-purification system protects you from airborne irritants, and eliminates odors at the source, leaving your room smelling fresh and clean. PURE’s unique, hypoallergenic mattress and pillow encasements provide soft, breathable coverings to protect you even further. Carpets, upholstery and all surfaces are deep cleaned and specially treated. Our rigorous maintenance is performed regularly to keep PURE Room’s certified allergy-friendly. When you stay in a PURE Room, you are free to live without boundaries, confident you have the freshest air quality in the hotel industry.
PURE’S Patented, 7-Step Purification Process
- Deep Clean Air-Handling Unit. Deep Clean Air-Handling Unit. A PURE heating and air conditioning unit along with air clean filters results in healthier air circulating throughout the room. Coils are deep cleaned and disinfected using PURE’s advanced treatment. And finally, an enzyme-based drip-pan tablet is in place to ensure maximum protection and minimum allergy at home or in partner hotels.
- PURE Tea Tree Oil Cartridge. Tea tree oil is a natural substance known for its antimicrobial and disinfectant properties. A cartridge of this tea tree oil is installed in the air-handling unit to maintain sanitized conditions.
- Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning. Our patented PURE clean solution is used to maximize the removal of dirt, bacteria and mold from all soft surfaces that traditional cleaners leave behind.
- One Time Shock Treatment. This advanced shock treatment destroys nearly all of the mold and bacteria in every nook and cranny of the room, removing any lingering odors caused by these and other contaminants, including but not limited to cigar or cigarette smoke, pets, or other unpleasant sources. The result is a fresh, crisp, environment.
- PURE Shield. This bacteriostatic barrier is applied to all room surfaces to repel microorganisms that cause illness and discomfort, and prevent their growth. Our advanced shield process makes it nearly impossible for bacteria viruses to survive in a PURE environment.
- Air Purification System. PURE’s air purifier is 24-hour defense against airborne irritants. Listed by the FDA as a Class II Medical Device, PURE’s state-of-the-art system is proven to kill 98% to 100% of bacteria and viruses.
- Allergy-Friendly Bedding. PURE’s personal protection continues. Aside from air clean filters, PURE uses only micro-fiber, mono-filament mattress and pillow encasements for lesser risks of allergy at home.
So…nothing about toxics. Bedding is synthetic. It’s all about bacteria and viruses and allergens.
But it may be better than most hotel rooms. I don’t know. I’ve never stayed in one.
We recently stayed in two pure rooms while on a long road trip. They were not at all PURE.
The first one, in Santa Fe, at least felt low dust and the air purifier and shower filter made a difference relative to other hotel rooms. But the sheets and shower curtain were so heavily scented (whether with an air freshener or some sort of scented fabric softener, we don’t know) that my daughter developed a rash, and our clothing reeked for weeks after (I put it out on the laundry line until the smell went away). The one we stayed in in Silicon Valley was worse. The PURE rooms were so disappointing because I had called PUREWellness company to inquire about the requirements for the room to be labelled pure and they assured me no scent in the sheets. Both of the PURE rooms we booked had more scent in them than any of the other hotels we stayed at.
Based on Pure’s description on their website, they seem to be more focused on removing allergens than removing toxins.
stayed in a pure room in palm beach gardens fl and the tea tree oil is terrible…i ended up removing the packet from the a/c and it took over a week with the sliders open to reduce the odor. the beds are usually latex, too…..
if the room has carpet then what have they accomplished …..the pet rooms have tile so they don’t really understand the concept…..
the hallways and elevators smell so that gets into room also and i didn’t allow maids into room just took towels from since i couldn’t sleep in the bed.
it is very hard to find rooms with a balcony since that allows some airing..hotels with sealed windows seem to be the norm and i was surprised at how many use pesticide bombs after animal use…….
I have stayed in several Pure Rooms. They use a lot of anti bacterials and other toxic chemicals. I would not recommend.
Also, no mention of what cleaners are used on above-floor hard surfaces. Unless I missed it.
You’re correct. No mention. A lot of unknowns about this.
One time shock treatment? With which products? Patented Pure Clean Solution? Oh my.. What “chemical” could be lurking in there? Tea tree? I could never tolerate that oil! #5 Pure shield? This is all non-descript and does not tell you anything about what these products contain. I’d never stay in this room. There’s nothing about organic pillows. What is this mattress? Scarey scarey scarey. The proprietors of these business s certainly are not catering to any MCS individual that I know.. What a disconnect. Sad.
I agree. It’s false and misleading to call this “pure.”
Tea Tree OIL!!!! No way I can stand the smell of that. It is the equivalent, in my opinion, of spraying Listerine throughout the room. I have bad asthma and MCS.
I will go back to the Westin and bring my own pillow, sheets and down quilt.
tea tree oil is an absolute killer for me
Yes, that is why I published this. One can’t assume a room is “pure” unless you know what has been done to it. Their idea of “pure” isn’t necessarily yours or mine.
I had looked at those before and came to the same conclusion — it’s mostly about allergens, and I wondered if the tea tree cartridge they use might leave a strong scent in the room, or if any of the cleaning products are scented. It would be wonderful if hotels did have designated rooms that were safer — better still if the whole hotel were developed with non-toxicity in mind. 🙂 Debra, do you think that the people doing these PURE rooms might be open to expanding to include removal of toxics?
I don’t know them at all, but my guess is the answer is no. My experience has been that people who start businesses have their own ideas about what is important and it’s easier to start a new business with a different idea that try to change an existing business. I would love to work with hotels to create nontoxic rooms and have been thinking about how to make this happen. It’s VERY much needed.
I see what you mean. Yes, it is VERY much needed, and I do hope you find a way to work with hotels to make it happen. 🙂