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The Pineapple has been a symbol of hospitality for centuries. According to legend, captains of New England would mount a pineapple on their fence posts when they had a safe return from sea.  This served as an invitation for family and friends to visit and share a meal together.  Today, the pineapple serves as a symbol for the highest quality in hospitality

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Bacteria-Ridden Remote Controls Are the Likely
Place for Guests to get a Cold or Flu

Pineapple Hospitality�s ZAPLEX  disposable remote control protectors
are injected with an antibacterial compound proven to help hotels avoid 
the all-too-common hand-to-remote transferring of colds, flu�s and MRSAs

SAINT CHARLES, MO. � FEBRUARY 27, 2007 � University of Arizona microbiology professor Chuck Gerba, aka �Dr. Germ,� recently conducted a study that found TV remote controls are the highest carrier of bacteria in hospital rooms � even more so than toilet bowl handles, bathroom doors and nurse call buttons.

�Remote controls have three times greater levels of bacteria than any other site in hospital rooms,� Gerba said. �While they are not hospitals, I suspect hotels also suffer a bit from bacteria transfer via remote controls. Remote control protectors sound like they might be a good idea � especially since common colds, flu�s and MRSAs (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus strains) can survive on surfaces such as remote controls for up to three days.�

�We�re taking back our hotel rooms and are making it safe to channel surf on the road,� said Ray Burger, president of St. Charles-based Pineapple Hospitality, exclusive distributor of ZAPLEX� plastic disposable remote control protectors.

The Protector

ZAPLEX� remote control protectors are the sanitary solution to remote control-transferred germs in hotel rooms. The low-cost, disposable plastic covers also help properties prevent the loss of remote control battery compartment covers and batteries.

�With today�s increasingly germ-conscious and germ-prone guests, and the proliferation of new diseases almost every day, it just makes sense to offer added protection for customers � and for your property as well in the end,� Burger said. �The in-room remote control � usually the first, last and most touched item in any hotel room � no longer has to be a bridge to bacteria.�

Following are just a few of the features of Pineapple Hospitality�s ZAPLEX� remote control protectors:

  • Easy for housekeeping staff to apply;
  • Disposable: Change in seconds with each new guest;
  • Antibacterial-injected compound provides added sanitary protection;
  • High perceived impact at a low-cost-per-stay ratio;
  • Saves on lost batteries and remote control battery compartment covers;
  • Protects the remote control from spills and grime; and
  • One size fits virtually all remote controls.
Consumer Awareness

�Lack of awareness about where germs lurk is a real health problem because people touch these objects and 80 percent of infections are spread through hand contact,� said Gerba, who notes that while 95 percent of people say they wash their hands after using a public restroom, only 67 percent actually do � and only 33 percent use soap!

In the first half of 2006 alone, 273 new antibacterial products were introduced into the marketplace, according to Mintel, a Chicago-based market research organization. 

�Almost everyone�s concerned about catching germs these days � and for good reason because we have so many MRSAs and vaccine-resistant flu strains,� Burger said. �Smart businesses are taking noticing and doing their small parts to help quell some of their customers� health vulnerabilities.

�For example, many grocery stores now provide antibacterial wipes in their entryways so shoppers can wipe off grocery carts prior to hands on them,� Burger added. �Our ZAPLEX� disposable remote control protectors are wanted and need. They�ll help keep your guests coming back � happily and healthily.�

About Pineapple Hospitality

Headquartered in Saint Charles, Mo., Pineapple Hospitality� is an EPA Energy StarTM partner bringing fresh ideas to hospitality guests� doors and owner/operators� bottom lines � including FreshStay® (www.FreshStay.com), Environmentally Sensitive Amenities�, the greenSPA�  luxury amenity and dispenser system, energy-efficient lighting, Guestat� programmable thermostats, Oxygenic� water-efficient showerheads, the Nature�s Mist� deodorization system, and dozens of other products/programs and ZAPLEXTM remote control protectors. To get a taste of Pineapple�s sweet solutions helping thousands of hotels bolster business and cut costs, visit www.pineapplehospitality.net or call Ray Burger at 636-922-2285.

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Contact:

Ray Burger
President & Founder
Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.
[email protected]
 (636) 922-2285
www.pineapplehospitality.net
 

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Also See: The Triple Win: greenSPA� Amenities Benefit Hotels'Guests, Properties' Profits and the Environment; Hotels from coast to coast reduce waste to preserve our planet / January 2007
The Triple Bottomline: Fresh BulbTM Eliminates Odors, Cuts Energy Costs and Reduces Global Warming; Pineapple Hospitality announces its Winter Light Sale / January 2007
Global Growth; The FreshStay.com online directory/network of smoke-free lodging properties connects a growing number of owner/operators with travelers from across the globe / December 2006
FreshStay® Reports 2,700% Gain in Smoke-free Hotels; With 2,300 Marriott properties' going smoke free, more than 5% of U.S. hotels will be 100% non-smoking / August 2006
Springfield�s Krystal Aire Inn & Suites Introduces Another Fresh Idea; All Non-Smoking Hotel Installs Energy Efficient, Odor-Neutralizing Light Bulbs / August 2006
FreshStay® Online Network Unites Hotels Worldwide,Fuels Smoke-Free Movement: Kentucky is the 48th state to join the FreshStay® union of nonsmoking lodging properties / June 2006
Turn Trash into Cash; Pineapple Hospitality® and Midas Consulting Identify Eight Red Flags For Hotel Operators to Improve Environmental Practices and Reduce Waste Management Expense / June 2006
PURE Solutions Signs On As A Corporate Sponsor Of FreshStay�; FreshStay�'s rapidly growing online directory of non smoking hospitality properties is the perfect match for the PURETM Rooms program, which converts guestrooms to allergy-friendly rooms within 24 hours / May 2006
Pineapple Lights Up Hotels' Bottom Lines; Hospitality Properties Reap Significant, Sustained Economic Benefits By Embracing Environmentally-Friendly, Energy-Efficient Bulbs; Lighting Retrofits Reduce Costs & Bolster Guest Satisfaction / May 2006
Top 5 States and Top 10 cities for Non Smoking hotels in the U.S.; www.freshstay.com adds 25 non-smoking properties during April -California is the number 1 state and Seattle the number 1 city / May 2006
Zontec� Sponsors FreshStay.com to Identify Best Places Where Guests Can �Breath Easy, Sleep Great�� / April 2006
200 Smoke Free Hotels Join the www.freshstay.com Online Directory in 1st Month / March 2006
120 Smoke Free Hotels Join the www.freshstay.com Online Directory in 1st Month / February 2006
Fresh Air: The New Hospitality Amenity; Pineapple Hospitality Launches FreshStay�, an Online Directory of Hotels Offering Better Indoor Air Quality / January 2006
Gift of the Year: Pineapple Hospitality�s Energy $aving Trifecta / December 2005
Pineapple Hospitality is Now the Exclusive U.S. Supplier of Environmentally Sensitive Amenities�  / November 2005
Got Pineapple? Hotelier-turned-industry-innovator Ray Burger Launches Pineapple Hospitality� � bringing fresh ideas and business-building products and programs to your guests� doors and your bottom line / September 2005


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