Passenger Trains > are amtrak sleepers or trains clean?

in reading a thread below, it was mentioned that he brought wipes and they were black by the time he was done. That begs the question how do they clean those rooms Normally and what are they doing now. I normally am not a germaphobe, but I've seen some nasty stuff on Amtrak. So what should actually happen and what does happen.

Posted from Android

As I reported my bedroom on No. 30 seemed to be very well kept and clean. Like everything else on Amtrak, it's hit or miss. The car attendant did say all beds, weather used or not (as in one  person in the room) were stripped and changed after every trip. Blankets come in a plastic wrap just like the airlines. I doubt there was any virus on the surfaces in the room. The dirt was way too old for that! It was also reported yesterday by the CDC that now they say the virus has only minimal shelf life and transmission on surfaces. So no more washing packages or groceries I guess.The more we learn, the less scary this is.  My advice to travelers is go, enjoy your life. But if you are in the higher risk group or have concerns, better to stay home or drive in your private vehicle if you can. 

A fellow I knew was a mechanic for Amtrak and he told me they called the seats on coaches "F&A" (foot & a$$). He suggested to anyone riding one of the long distance trains to bring a large towel or small sheet to cover the seat and back before using. Seems the seats had a peculiar odor. Like I said, this was from one of their mechanics.
CR

The new seat coverings that Amfleet-1, and I suppose Horizon and Amfleet-2 are getting, or soon will, ought to be easier to wipe and clean. The paper headrest is also abolished. 

The report of Anderson about a dirty room on the Crescent :    It came out of Sunnyside Yard, where they had 24 HOURS to clean that train.  Amtrak needs to hold its mechanical and cleaning people responsible for their work.  If it can be shown that someone failed to perform their job, then expensive penalties should follow them.  

I have not traveled Amtrak for over a year but even at that time I felt the Superliner cars were in need of a serious deep cleaning. The diner cars and the sleeper showers always appeared in good clean condition but beyond that.......not so.

It has been a bit over a year since I rode Amtrak too, but in my experience it was kind of a crap shoot.  Some times the roomette was nice and clean, and even smelled clean.  Other times, not so much.  I actually would take one of the washclothes they give you and wipe off the sink area and folding table, and a couple times yes they were pretty nasty.

My rooms have always been clean on every train.

Posted from Android

Mechanics don't clean, they fix. The cleaning people on the other hand.........

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The report of Anderson about a dirty room on the
> Crescent :    It came out of Sunnyside Yard,
> where they had 24 HOURS to clean that train. 
> Amtrak needs to hold its mechanical and cleaning
> people responsible for their work.  If it can be
> shown that someone failed to perform their job,
> then expensive penalties should follow them.  

In the 40 plus years I've been riding Amtrak, I've encountered the full spectrum of 'clean' to 'filthy' in roomettes.  Perhaps 90% of the time, I consider them 'clean enough', or, on par with or just above Motel 6 cleanliness (I've stayed at a lot of those through the years as well as better motels).  Lately, I travel with hydrogen-peroxide wipes in individual packets and wipe down everything I will likely touch, from the tray table, to the lighting and other controls, the armrests, and even the door latch before I unpack anything.  I use a separate wipe in Viewliner roomettes to work from top down on the sink to the toilet, and even the underside of the lid at the 'front lifting edge' after I wipe the toilet seat and both sidewalls around the toilet, too.  I've had carpet that 'squished' from being soaked with whatever before I boarded.  I also check under the seats with a bright flashlight and have found a variety of disgusting stuff underneath through the years.  2 years ago, the elderly woman in the roomette across the hall in a Superliner used the waste bucket to urinate in and soaked the bed, bedding, and carpet in the process, according to her daughter who was in the adjacent room on her side.

While I am not 'in fear' about roomette cleanliness, I do have some concerns about Covid-19 as I'm 72 and have multiple health issues including diabetes.  The last time I looked at Covid-19 stats at the CDC web site, 79% of the deaths were folks 65 and above, and 91% were aged 55 and older.  Getting sick from Covid 19 while on a lengthy 'Amtrak circle trip' is something I will do my best to avoid.