Checking into a hotel can be a very enjoyable experience. Regardless of whether you are there for vacation or business, it is a place that you will call home for a short time.
Travel experts are now telling people that there is something they should do every time they check into a hotel. Before you put anything away or even check out the bed for softness, you should take your luggage and put it in the bathroom.
This may seem a little strange, but something everyone should do when they check into a hotel is to check for bugs. There are specific ways that you should do it, but the last thing you want is for them to get in your suitcase before you can check out the room.
If you put the suitcase in the middle of the room or next to the bed, some bedbugs or other critters may hitch a ride to your next destination. That is why it is recommended that you put the luggage in the bathtub because it is the safest spot to keep your luggage while you inspect the room.
Primarily, you are protecting yourself against bedbugs by doing this. Those pests can easily get on your clothing and into your luggage and hide until you get to your next destination or even when you get home. Eventually, they will get a foothold in that area as well.
Dr. Katelyn Kesheimer weighs in on why using the bathtub is the best choice when searching for bedbugs. Since people spend less time in the bathroom compared to other areas of the hotel room, there are typically fewer bugs in that area.
In addition, there are fewer hiding spaces for bugs, including bedbugs in the bathroom. Even though there are towels and bathmats, they are typically cleaned between guests, and the hiding spaces get disrupted, sending bedbugs to other areas.
If you are checking into a hotel room without a bathtub, you can use the shower stall instead. It offers many of the same benefits.
Once you have your luggage in a safe location, you can check for bedbugs using these steps:
1. Fold back the top sheet and check the top of the bottom
sheet.
2. Untuck the bottom sheet from the corners and sides, inspecting
the folds for any signs of bedbugs.
3. Check the seams of the mattress, any zippers, and the tufts on
the mattress top.
4. Slide the mattress aside to inspect the box spring.
5. Examine the headboard, particularly if it’s fabric-covered or
tufted. Don’t forget to check behind it and the wall behind the
bed.
If you think the bedbugs may have hitched a ride in your suitcases, you can use these steps to remove them.
1. Steam-clean your suitcase, whether it’s hard-sided or
soft-sided.
2. Vacuum every inch of the luggage, including all corners and
seams.
3. If you have access to a large freezer, place the entire suitcase
inside (make sure it’s set below 0°F). Leave it there for several
days, then vacuum it out.