It’s usually exciting to explore a new hotel room, but always put your bags in the bathtub before settling into your temporary residence.
Although this may seem strange, industry experts claim that the tub is the safest area to keep personal goods, lowering the possibility that you will bring more than just memories home.
When you check into a hotel room, what is the first thing you do? Perhaps you smelt the amenities in the bathroom, examine the minibar, or test the mattress’s bounce.
It’s likely that you dropped your suitcase on the bed or luggage rack before doing any of it. Experts in hygiene and travel claim that this widespread practice may be among the greatest errors committed by tourists.
The cool, hard, (ideally) clean surface of the tub is the safest place for your luggage, so you should use it there rather than on the floor or bed.
What makes the bathtub the best location for your bag, then? The bedbug is the obvious answer.
breeding grounds
These microscopic pests, stowaways seeking a free ride to a new home, can thrive in hotel rooms, regardless of how upscale or well-kept they are.
“Bedbugs are very good at hitchhiking.” In a single night, they can swiftly traverse a space and scale baggage or anything left on a bed or floor, according to the pest management firm Orkin. “Bedbugs thrive at hotels due to the high rate of guest turnover. They are also present in these areas because of the difficulty in managing bedbugs in hotels because of the sheer volume of rooms.
Orkin cautions that the spooky little creatures are skilled predators that lurk “near the humans they feed on.”
Bedbug-free area
Placing your baggage in soft, warm places like mattresses, carpets, and even upholstered furniture just encourages the pests to survive.
In contrast, the bathtub is a bedbug-free area. Your luggage is much less likely to come into contact with the bothersome pests because hotel bathrooms are usually cleaned more thoroughly than bedroom areas and these bugs have a hard time climbing smooth surfaces.
As she properly inspects the room for bedbugs, entomologist Katelyn Kesheimer, PhD, told Reader’s Digest that she always puts her luggage in the toilet.
I take my bags out into the main room as soon as I’m certain it’s clear. But just in case,” Kesheimer remarked, “I never put anything on the bed.” Because people, the bedbugs’ food supply, spend so less time in the toilet compared to the rest of the room, it is the least likely location for bedbugs to be found in a hotel room.
S.L.E.E.P.
Orkin advises utilizing the abbreviation S.L.E.E.P. when traveling in order to prevent bringing bedbugs back home.
Look for indications of a bedbug infestation in the hotel room. Watch out for dark, ink-like stains on box springs, mattress cracks, and bedding. Additionally, make sure you are familiar with the appearance of bedbugs at all life phases, including eggs, newly hatched, and adult.
Look behind baseboards, pictures, and even ripped wallpaper for bedbug hiding places, such as the mattress, box spring, bed skirt, and other furniture.
Move your belongings away from the wall and bed. The bathtub is the safest location.
Check your luggage both when you’re packing again and when you go home from a trip.
When you get home, put all of the dryer-safe clothes from your suitcase in the dryer on the highest setting for at least 20 minutes.
Experts at concealing
Orkin advises taking extra care to “keep your belongings secured from a potential infestation” after you’ve checked your hotel room and discovered no evidence of bed bugs.
Here are a few easy ways to keep your possessions safe.
Luggage: To help keep bedbugs out of your possessions, keep your suitcase in the tub while you’re there.
Clothes: Pack clothes and shoes in resealable bags to prevent the cunning creatures from sticking to them. Additionally, avoid unpacking and live out of your bag because garments are more likely to harbor bedbugs when placed in drawers or closets.
Personal belongings: Bedbugs are excellent hitchhikers and adept at hiding. They have been observed hiding in non-metal personal objects such as books and fabric toiletry packages. Throughout your journey, make sure your possessions are securely fastened.
No food? No issue
Although it may seem like a lot of labor, keep in mind that bedbugs are incredibly hardy and have a very long lifespan. “If left in a suitcase or on clothing, they can definitely survive and infest later when there is access to food,” Kesheimer adds, adding that they can go months or even more than a year without a blood meal.
Although it may sound strange, packing your bag in the bathtub can significantly lower the likelihood that you will bring unwelcome visitors home from your trip.
Therefore, the next time you check into a hotel, leave your suitcase in the tub instead of the bed and forget the luggage rack.
What advice would you provide someone who is traveling to help them avoid bringing bedbugs? Kindly share this tale with your friends and let us know what you think!
