When arriving in a hotel room, many travellers tend to put their luggage on the bed or on the first spot of free floor space they encounter. However, experts say this might not be a great idea, offering some alternatives instead.
Where does one put their luggage when settling into a hotel room or holiday rental? The answer to that question greatly depends on who is asked. Some simply put their trolley in a corner of the room and live out of it for the rest of their stay. Others immediately put away all their clothes in a cupboard, even when staying for just one night, in order to stay organised and wrinkle-free.
No matter one’s preferred tactic, however, some things should be avoided at all costs. Putting a piece of luggage on the bed or on the (carpet-covered) floor in particular is ill-advised and unhygienic according to many experts. Not only are they prone to carrying some unwanted bacteria and other traces of their past due to the fact that they’re not easily cleaned all over, but they also might expose personal items to critters of all kinds.
“Personally, I always use the luggage rack to unpack and then store my luggage in the closet. Professionally, I advise against leaving luggage on the floor due to the risk of unwanted critters. For example, while travelling in Jamaica, I once left my luggage on the floor for a short period. Upon returning home, I discovered that I had inadvertently brought back small lizards that had crawled into my suitcase,” LaDell Carter, founder and lead travel consultant at Royal Expression Travels, said in an interview with travel media Travel + Leisure.
@safaratravels Do you do this? Here's a travel mistake you probably didn't know you were making & what to do instead 🫢🧳 #hotels #hoteltips #travelmistakes #traveltok #traveltiktok #travelhacks ♬ original sound – Safara | Book Hotels
Bathtubs and tiles
Small lizards aside, putting a piece of luggage on a piece of textile might expose it to bed bugs in particular, increasing the risk of an infestation when returning home after a trip. As the insects, which are not necessarily a sign of bad hygiene, mostly live on soft furnishings such as carpets, mattresses, and wallpaper, avoiding putting luggage and clothes on these spots can prevent contamination.
While some industry experts, including Carter, recommend using the luggage rack to keep personal items safe, others go one step further. Travel writer Lydia Mansel, for example, says travellers should prefer tiled floors or – even better – the bathtub. Thanks to the hard surface and the fact that they’re both regularly and well cleaned, they’re the perfect spot to keep luggage from catching any unwanted pests or bacteria.
@travelandleisuremag Better safe than sorry Why you should always put your luggage in the hotel bathtub 🎥 Kate Van Dyke, T+L associate social media editor #traveltok #traveltips #hotelhacks #luggage ♬ Jazz Bossa Nova – TOKYO Lonesome Blue
In order to make sure the bathtub is clean, it can be advised to pack a bag of disinfecting wipes to wipe it down beforehand. The same wipes could also be used to clean the inside of a cupboard to store clothes, as a bathtub might not necessarily be available or very handy to use for a longer period of time.
