Hotels, cheap or fancy, can have bed bugs. It has nothing to do with how clean the room is. Bed bugs ride in on other guests’ luggage. The good news is that a quick check when you arrive and a few habits when you get home go a long way.
Part 1: The 2-minute hotel room check
Do this before you unpack.
- Put your luggage in the bathroom or on a hard surface away from the bed.
- Turn on your phone’s flashlight.
- Check the headboard. Look along the edges and, if you can, behind it where it meets the wall.
- Pull back the sheets at the corners. Check the mattress edges, corners, and seams.
- Look for black pepper spots or reddish-brown stains. Those are droppings and blood spots.
If you find anything, ask for a different room that isn’t next to or directly above or below the first one.
During your stay
- Keep luggage off the floor and as far from the bed as possible. A luggage rack or the bathroom counter works.
- Keep your suitcase zipped when you’re not using it.
- Don’t put clothes in hotel dresser drawers.
Part 2: When you get home
Whether you’re flying back into Tulsa International or driving home from a tournament, do this before your bags go in the bedroom.
- Put your luggage in the garage or another spot away from bedrooms.
- Run your clothes through the dryer on high heat, even the clean ones. Heat kills bed bugs that may have hitched a ride.
- Check your skin over the next few days for new itchy bumps.
- Inspect the headboard and mattress every 2 to 4 weeks after a trip. Bed bugs can take weeks to show up.
Read more: Bed bugs in hotels and 7 Early Signs of Bed Bugs
Brought something home from a trip? Book an inspection. Inspections are $49–$99, depending on home size and location.
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