Stash your luggage in the bathroom to avoid bed bugs and more

There are several travel tips that connoisseurs can take advantage of while seeing the world or visiting a new city. Yet, Stacey Leasca of Travel & Leisure highlights an interesting, but unknown tip that can keep travelers from spreading disgusting bugs from one location to another. How? Just put your luggage in the bathtub, simple enough.

Yes, putting your luggage in the bathtub is a weird tip and should raise your eyebrows. But this is a tactic that will keep bed bugs and other critters from hopping inside your suitcase. No one wants to get home and find out that they’ve brought horrible bugs with them. To avoid doing that, make sure your luggage stays clear of any fabric surfaces. That includes carpets, begging, curtains and more. Those are areas which bugs are known to cling onto and your luggage can become a quick transition for them on those surfaces.

So that means you should unpack your luggage and store your luggage in the bathtub. Bugs have a harder time sticking to the slick surfaces in the bathroom, plus they are easier to spot in areas like the bathtub. That would give you the opportunity to spot the bugs and alert the hotel before taking that luggage home, spreading the problem.

“Whenever I check into a hotel, I immediately put my luggage either in the bathroom, the entryway, or any space away from the bed and not on the carpet,” said Lydia Mansel, a travel writer. “I also like to leave housekeeping a note on top of the suitcase, letting them know to leave my luggage there.”

Another tip to avoid bed bugs is to look in tiny spaces and check the bed. Give the room a good look over to make sure you don’t notice anything. If you can notice something that means the infestation is worse than thought and you must alert the hotel immediately. If you want to be super cautious, avoid unpacking altogether and keep all your contents together in the bathroom.

No one wants to have their vacation ruined by bed bugs or other insects. Leaving your luggage in the bathroom goes a long way in avoiding that problem and is a tip that more people should take advantage of when they travel.