Checking into a hotel is always exciting. After a long journey, most travelers are ready to relax, unpack, and settle into their temporary home. But before you put your suitcase on the bed or luggage rack, there’s one unusual habit you may want to consider: placing your luggage in the bathtub.
It might sound strange at first, but travel and pest-control experts say the bathtub can be one of the safest temporary places for your suitcase—especially when you’re concerned about bedbugs.
The Bedbug Problem
What’s the first thing you do after entering a hotel room? You might test the mattress, check the view, look through the bathroom amenities, or simply drop your suitcase on the bed.
That last habit could potentially expose your belongings to bedbugs.
Hotels, regardless of how clean or expensive they are, can occasionally have bedbug problems. Because guests are constantly coming and going, these tiny insects have plenty of opportunities to move from one room to another by hiding in luggage, clothing, bedding, and other belongings.
According to pest-control experts, bedbugs are extremely effective hitchhikers. They can move around a room and eventually make their way onto luggage that has been placed near beds, carpets, or upholstered furniture.
That’s why where you put your suitcase immediately after checking in can actually matter.
Why the Bathtub?
Bedbugs prefer areas where people spend a lot of time, particularly warm, soft places such as mattresses, carpets, upholstered furniture, and bedding.
A smooth bathtub is a very different environment.
Bedbugs have difficulty crossing smooth surfaces, and the bathroom is generally a less likely place for them to be hiding because people spend far less time there than they do in the bedroom.
Entomologist Katelyn Kesheimer, PhD, has previously explained that she puts her luggage in the bathroom while she checks the room for possible signs of bedbugs.
Once she is satisfied that the room appears clear, she brings her luggage into the main area—but still avoids putting it directly on the bed.
The idea is simple: keep your suitcase away from the places where bedbugs are most likely to hide until you’ve had a chance to inspect the room.
The S.L.E.E.P. Method
Orkin recommends using the acronym S.L.E.E.P. as a simple reminder for travelers who want to reduce their chances of bringing bedbugs home.
Survey the room carefully for signs of bedbugs. Check the mattress, bedding, and areas around the bed for dark stains or other indications of an infestation.
Lift and inspect common hiding places, including the mattress seams, box spring, bed skirt, furniture, and nearby cracks or crevices.
Elevate your luggage away from the bed and walls. The bathtub can be a useful temporary location while you’re inspecting the room.
Examine your suitcase and belongings carefully when packing up to leave and again once you return home.
Place dryer-safe clothing in the dryer on a high setting when you get home. Heat can help kill bedbugs and their eggs that may have traveled with your clothing.
Bedbugs Are Experts at Hiding
One of the biggest problems with bedbugs is how easily they can remain unnoticed.
They can hide in luggage, clothing, books, toiletry bags, and other personal items. Simply seeing a clean-looking hotel room doesn’t necessarily guarantee that there are no bedbugs present.
For that reason, experts recommend keeping luggage away from beds and upholstered furniture whenever possible.
You can also keep clothing inside resealable bags instead of spreading it throughout drawers and closets. Living out of your suitcase can make it easier to keep track of your belongings and inspect them later.
Don’t Forget Your Suitcase After the Trip
Bedbugs can survive for surprisingly long periods without feeding. That means an insect that makes its way into your suitcase during a trip could potentially remain there until it encounters a suitable environment later.
When you return home, inspect your luggage before putting it away. Wash or dry clothing according to the care instructions, and pay particular attention to seams, pockets, zippers, and other areas where bedbugs could hide.
It may feel unusual to place your suitcase in a bathtub when you first arrive at a hotel, but it’s a simple precaution that can help keep your belongings farther away from potential bedbug hiding spots.
So next time you check into a hotel, think twice before putting your suitcase on the bed. Until you’ve inspected the room, the bathtub might be the smarter place to keep it.
A few extra seconds of caution could help ensure that the only thing you bring home from your trip is a good memory.