Why should you put your suitcase in the bath first when you arrive at a hotel?

When you arrive in a hotel room, you usually put your suitcase on the bed first and start unpacking. According to travel experts, however, there is a far better first step: placing the suitcase in the bathtub.

It sounds strange, but it can have a big impact. Because even in well-maintained hotels and high-class establishments, a problem can arise that hardly anyone likes to talk about: bedbugs.

These tiny insects are masters of hiding and are happy to hitch a ride without being asked. Suitcases, clothing and fabric surfaces in particular offer ideal conditions for these stowaways to settle in unnoticed and later travel home with you.

Travel writer and consultant Marla Cimini tells the US magazine «Reader’s Digest» that bedbugs are more common in hotels than many guests realise. She therefore recommends first placing luggage out of reach of potential hiding places – and the bathroom is particularly well suited for this.

The bathroom is considered a safe zone

Why there in particular? According to Katelyn Kesheimer, an insect expert at Auburn University in the US state of Alabama, bedbugs prefer to stay where people linger for longer – that is, around the bed, on upholstered furniture or in bedside tables. In the bathroom, the insects find significantly poorer conditions.

Tiles, ceramics and smooth surfaces offer little grip and hardly any places to hide. What’s more, towels and bath mats are regularly changed and cleaned between guests.

If you want to be on the safe side, you should therefore first place your suitcase in the bath or on the tiled bathroom floor and then carry out a quick room check. Experts particularly recommend looking under the bed sheets, at mattress seams, behind the headboard and in drawers.

Before departure, it is also worth taking a quick look at your suitcase. Bedbugs like to hide along zips, in seams or under labels. Your smartphone’s torch is sufficient for an initial reliable check.