Travel specialists often recommend placing your suitcase in the bathtub when staying in a hotel. Although this suggestion may seem odd at first, it can help reduce the risk of bedbugs traveling home with you. These insects prefer soft, warm environments such as mattresses, carpets, and upholstered furniture, making luggage placed on those surfaces vulnerable.
Because they are small and capable of hiding easily, even a brief encounter can lead to an infestation that is difficult and costly to remove. The bathtub is considered safer because of its smooth, slippery surface, which bedbugs struggle to climb. Bathrooms also tend to be cleaned more thoroughly and frequently than other areas of a hotel room.
