Checking into a hotel usually follows the same script: you swipe the key card, drop your suitcase on the bed or luggage rack, and start exploring the room.
According to travel and pest-control experts, that’s one of the worst habits you can have. They say the safest place for your luggage is actually the bathtub.
It sounds strange – until you remember one word:
BEDBUGS!
Why the tub is the safest place for your suitcase?
Bedbugs thrive in soft, warm, dark places: mattresses and box springs, bedskirts and upholstered furniture, carpets and rugs.
Hotels are perfect for them because of the constant stream of new guests. They’re “highly efficient hitchhikers” that can crawl onto bags left on the bed or floor in just one night, notes pest-control company Orkin.
The bathroom – especially the bathtub – is the opposite of their ideal environment.
Smooth, slippery surfaces make it hard for bedbugs to climb.
Tubs and bathroom floors are usually cleaned more thoroughly and more often than bedroom carpets or furniture.
That’s why entomologist Katelyn Kesheimer, PhD, says she always puts her luggage in the bathroom while she inspects the rest of the room for bugs:
“A bathroom is the least likely place that bedbugs will be found in a hotel room,” she explains.
The S.L.E.E.P. method to avoid bringing bedbugs home
Orkin recommends using the acronym S.L.E.E.P. every time you stay in a hotel:
S – Survey the room.
Look for dark, ink-like spots or tiny bugs around seams of the mattress, box spring, bed frame, and headboard.
L – Lift and look.
Check under the mattress, around the bed skirt, behind baseboards, inside nightstands, and behind pictures or loose wallpaper.
E – Elevate luggage.
Keep bags off beds and carpets; the safest spot is the bathtub.
E – Examine luggage.
Before repacking and after you get home, inspect your suitcase inside and out.
P – Place clothes in the dryer.
Put all dryer-safe clothing from your trip in the dryer on the highest setting for at least 20 minutes. Heat kills bedbugs and their eggs.
Extra precautions for your stuff
Even if your room looks clean, experts suggest a few more simple habits to protect your belongings:
Luggage: keep your suitcase in the tub or on a hard bathroom floor rather than on the bed or carpet.
Clothing: pack clothes and shoes in resealable plastic bags; avoid unpacking into hotel dressers and closets, which can hide bugs in joints and corners.
Personal items: bedbugs can hide in books, fabric toiletry bags, and other non-metal items. Keep everything zipped or sealed when you’re not using it.
Remember, bedbugs are incredibly resilient. They can survive months to over a year without feeding, so a few hidden in your suitcase can turn into a home infestation long after your trip ends.
Bottom line
Putting your suitcase in the bathtub might look odd, but it’s a simple, low-effort trick that can dramatically cut your chances of taking unwanted pests home with you.
Next time you open a hotel door, don’t head straight for the bed. Drop your bags in the tub first – then start enjoying your stay.
