Headed to a Hotel? Here’s Why You Should Put Your Luggage in the Bathtub

Every time we enter a new hotel, deciding where to put our luggage is not the first thing on our minds. Usually, the suggestions are to check the room’s security and then get around to see if the place is clean. After that, we can get around to visiting the amenities that are on offer at the hotel. However, one of the first things you should do is place your luggage in the bathtub. Yes, you read it correctly: the safest place for your luggage is the hotel’s bathroom.

Here is a disclaimer about the reason: it can make your skin crawl. However, it is an extremely helpful reason. The reason for putting your luggage in the bathroom is none other than bed bugs. Regardless of how highly rated your hotel is, the risk of bed bugs isn’t zero. Furthermore, the insects are infamous for hitching rides on every surface they encounter. As such, one of the wisest things you can do is to keep your luggage safely out of their reach until you make sure they are not there in the room.

Bed Bugs Love Your Luggage

Marla Cimini, a travel consultant and writer, explains that her time in the hospitality industry taught her just how frequent bed bug infestations are. As such, after stashing away your luggage, she advises readers to check the mattress and bed. She tells us to pull out the sheets from the corners and sides to make sure there’s no trace of the bugs. Checking the headboard and drawers is also necessary. Entomologist Katelyn Kesheimer also abides by this routine.

Hand with magnifying glass detecting bed bug

But why the bathroom? Kesheimer explains that the bathroom is the last place where bed bugs are found. This is simply because guests spend the least time there, and most surfaces are hard and nonporous, like tile, ceramics, and countertops. Finally, hiding places like bathmats and towels are constantly cleaned.

So, where can you usually find the insects? According to Kesheimer, beds and places where people spend long hours are favorites. The conditions for a suitable place are that they can hide there, and their blood meal is easily accessible. When they are not feeding, they choose dark and flat places to hide. Their feeding time is usually between 2 and 5 in the night. Otherwise, a headboard, behind a hanging picture, beneath a mattress, within a mattress’s creases and folds, couches, and accent chairs are all great hiding places for bed bugs. The dressers and closets are not exempt either.

What if There is Already a Bed Bug Infestation?

Bed Bugs can hide inside a suitcase, or a zipper’s inside, or even beneath a tag without your being none the wise. Kesheimer advises her readers to use their phone’s flashlight to scan the luggage before packing it. Folds and creases, the zipper, any tags, and any other flat, concealed areas should be scrutinized particularly meticulously. Try to carry large garbage bags. In case, your luggage does get infested, you can wrap them up in the garbage bag to prevent further spread until you can get home and get rid of them.

To avoid letting the insects further, the experts’ advice is to unpack immediately after getting home. The insects will hide away until the coast is clear otherwise. If the luggage is not cleaned, then your closet can get infested next. However, high heat is fatal for the insects, so a 45-minute high treatment in the dryer is enough to get rid of them. However, cleaning them is absolutely vital since the insects can be alive for more than a year without a meal. So, they are never out of time for infesting your wardrobe.