# Hotel ice bucket question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518 "2003-09-14T05:03:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/1 "2003-09-14T05:03:33Z")
I’m staying n a hotel tonight, and am once again confronted with a situation I do not understand. The hotel provides a set of drinking glasses and an ice bucket. For several years now, the ice bucket has included a plastic bag. What’s the plastic bag for? My initial guess was that it was to line the ice bucket, but I’ve tried before, and tonight, and it’s just too small to condomize the ice bucket. So what am I supposed to do with this thing? I’m about ready to give up with typos on this Lodgenet. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/2 "2003-09-14T05:06:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\*So what am I supposed to do with this thing? \*\* Why not call the concierge (or front desk) and ask? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/3 "2003-09-14T05:07:02Z")
What hotel are you at? My ice bucket bags have always been large enough to, uh, condomize the thing. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/4 "2003-09-14T05:58:16Z")
What do you need it for? The insides of the ice bucket are most certainly very far from sterile, maybe put some ice in the bag, then in the bucket? I doubt that there’s a concierge at a place with “bucket bags”, and the night person probably doesn’t give a shit, so forget asking. Here’s some advice, forget the bag. Unless you want to wrap the ice in it, and then cool your beverage through conduction. If the “water” from the hotel “ice” gets in your system, who knows what could happen…I’d rather drink tap water than get Legionairre’s disease from an ice machine. And before you think that “condomizing” a bucket makes it clean, think about the drunken bastards that probably pissed in and around said ice machine…people do. Act like you’re in Mexico, bottled beverages only, and only then when washed externally. Sorry to rant, but you brought up “hotel hygiene” which is IMO an oxymoron. Use the bag to touch the doorknob, or the toilet handle, or the remote…it never ends. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/5 "2003-09-14T12:05:13Z")
Having worked in the hotel business all my life, I know the plastic IS to line the bucket. A couple of things happened. 1) The director of housekeeping ordered the wrong thing…so they use it anyway. 2) Budget cuts…The Director of Sales needs a raise so they order Ice Bucket Liners from a cheaper company and those don’t fit. 3) You are staying on a floor for conceirge or suite level guests. The Ice Buckets are bigger and you got one for the regular floors. 4) You got the liner for something else… And yes if you knew what a hotel was really like you’d never stay at one…Much like if you saw the inside of a resturant kitchen you wouldn’t eat there. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/6 "2003-09-14T14:48:50Z")
Thanks y’all. I’d pretty much figured out that it _had_ to be meant as a liner. But it just doesn’t fit. **Mark** ’s probably got it figured out. And I’ve worked in restaurants ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/7 "2003-09-15T05:36:34Z")
Aww, jeez, I thought it was my complimentary shower cap! (3rd try, I’m gonna pit LodgeNet if this one fails…) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/8 "2003-09-15T08:13:52Z")
Um…it’s naïve of me to ask, but why exactly is there such a big demand for ice, while staying in a hotel room? It’s for putting in booze or something, right? No offense, but it’s not like _everyone_ could be reenacting scenes from “The World is Not Enough” while staying at the Hilton. …Right? ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/9 "2003-09-15T14:46:56Z")
Lots of people like to put ice in their beverages. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/10 "2003-09-15T15:57:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*Um…it’s naïve of me to ask, but why exactly is there such a big demand for ice, while staying in a hotel room?B] Well, to fill your bathtub with. Everybody knows you need a bathtub full of ice if you’re going to steal a kidney. ---
**Author:** ![booka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@booka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booka)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/11 "2003-09-15T17:49:37Z")
> [@](#): > > **dnooman said:** > > And before you think that “condomizing” a bucket makes it clean, think about the drunken bastards that probably pissed in and around said ice machine…people do. Act like you’re in Mexico, bottled beverages only, and only then when washed externally. I’m forever ruined. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/12 "2003-09-15T21:29:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > **Um…it’s naïve of me to ask, but why exactly is there such a big demand for ice, while staying in a hotel room?** I down a glass or two of water every now and then, and I much prefer it with ice (or out of a refrigerator - often not an option in a hotel room). Usually the first thing I do upon getting settled is grab the ice bucket and hunt down the machine. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/13 "2003-09-15T22:20:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > Um…it’s naïve of me to ask, but why exactly is there such a big demand for ice, while staying in a hotel room? In addition to the reasons others have mentioned, I can put a couple of beers bought warm at a nearby store in the bucket and head for the ice machine. There, I fill the bucket with ice, and in an hour or so, I have cold beer. This is what happens when you can’t afford to stay in places with minibars. Or, even if you could, you couldn’t afford the goods in the minibar. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/14 "2003-09-16T11:50:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spoons \* > **In addition to the reasons others have mentioned, I can put a couple of beers bought warm at a nearby store in the bucket and head for the ice machine. There, I fill the bucket with ice, and in an hour or so, I have cold beer.** I just did this very thing in Ontario over Labor Day weekend – except I used the trash can filled with us. The ice bucket was just too small. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/15 "2003-09-16T14:56:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*Well, to fill your bathtub with. Everybody knows you need a bathtub full of ice if you’re going to steal a kidney. \*\* Yeah, and those organ thieves are such sticklers for cleanliness they wouldn’t think of transporting the ice from the machine to the bath tub without using the bucket bag. If someone were to get an infection it would really give the organ robbers a bad reputation. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/16 "2003-09-16T15:05:04Z")
I use both the bag and the bucket to get ice, then dump all of it in the sink, on top of some store bought[sub]beer[/sub] drinks. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/17 "2003-09-16T15:41:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Markxxx \* > \*\* > And yes if you knew what a hotel was really like you’d never stay at one…Much like if you saw the inside of a resturant kitchen you wouldn’t eat there. \*\* I visited the kitchen of the company cafeteria several times a shift to check on various employees. When a kitchen is in operation on a fast track basis it can be more that just a bit messy. This doesn’t necessarilly mean it is unsanitary. At off shift and holidays it was spotless! You have to know what you are looking at and for! As for ice and/or water you are at the mercy of management. I ate at a big restaurant one hot day, no A/C, and I see one of the cooks drinking tea out of an iced tea pitcher. Called the manager and he said it was his pitcher. to whitch I suggested that he get the man a DIFFERENT something to drink out of in place of an iced tea pitcher! ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/18 "2003-09-17T18:18:09Z")
It’s conventional for chefs and kitchen staff to be allowed a full pitcher of ice water or tea. There’s some kind of macho thing associated with needed all the liquid. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_In\_Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@Not\_In\_Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_In_Anger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/19 "2003-09-17T23:43:53Z")
Re the ice: the classic purpose is to chill the champagne you are sharing with your lady friend. But, yeah, I just use it to throw over warm Labatt’s from the local store. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518/20 "2003-09-18T02:42:59Z")
“Ice water in room 17? Send up some onions. They’ll make your ice water.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-ice-bucket-question/201518.md?page=2)