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When you enter a hotel room, what is your priority? Checking the mattress? Inspecting the minibar? Admiring the view? According to one expert, all of these activities are secondary. So what should be your first order of business? Putting your suitcase in the bathtub. That’s right—the bathtub!
How on earth did the expert come up with this idea? The reason is actually quite disgusting. We’ll tell you now.
Most of us would probably throw our suitcase on the hotel bed to unpack it. But there’s a good (and pretty gross) reason why you shouldn’t do that. Whether you’re staying in a 5-star hotel or a cheap motel, there’s always the risk of bedbugs.
These little pests are known to jump onto your luggage in no time at all as stowaways to accompany you to your next destination. In the bathtub, your luggage is safe from bedbugs, and you gain time to check out the situation in your room first.
Bed bugs are a big problem in many hotels
“When I worked in the hotel industry, I realized that more hotels have problems with bedbugs than you might think,” travel writer and consultant Marla Cimini told the US lifestyle magazine Reader’s Digest. Once your suitcase is safely stowed away, you should first thoroughly search the room for these little creatures.
The best way to do this is to pull the bedsheet off the corners and sides of the mattress so you can examine it closely. The headboard and nightstand drawers should also be checked.
Why is the bathroom a safe place for your suitcase?
But why put your suitcase in the hotel bathroom of all places? “A bathroom is the place in a hotel room where bed bugs are least likely to be found because people (the food source for bed bugs) only spend a short time in the bathroom,” explains Katelyn Kesheimer, assistant professor and specialist in entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University.
In addition, a bathroom offers fewer hiding places for bedbugs compared to the rest of the room. “Bed bugs prefer natural surfaces, and bathtubs and tiles don’t offer that. Furthermore, towels and bath mats are removed and cleaned between guests, so potential hiding places are constantly changing.”
How can you tell if there are bedbugs in your suitcase?
Because bed bugs are so good at hiding, they can easily travel unnoticed in your suitcase. For example, they make themselves comfortable on the inside of the zipper or under a label. Use the flashlight on your cell phone to check your luggage before you pack it to leave the room.
If you are travelling for an extended period of time, always travel with large garbage bags. You can use them to pack any infested luggage or items and prevent further spread until you get home and can get rid of the bedbugs.
- Source: Reader’s Digest/picture: canva.com
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