Travel Clean: 5 Tips for Avoiding Hotel Bed Bugs

by Marissa Henderson
June 3, 2019

Summer travel season is here! Your hotel might look pristine, but what is lurking underneath? bed bugs don’t care about the cleanliness or star-rating of a hotel, and they are found everywhere. While most hotels are doing what the can to keep a bug-free space, it’s important that you protect yourself. Here are five tips for bed bug prevention you should make part of your travel clean routine.

• Inspect your room upon arrival. Pull back the sheets and inspect mattress seams. bed bugs leave telltale stains and spots. Don’t stop there! bed bugs don’t only hide in mattresses, but in furniture as well. Be sure to check for them in the headboard, side tables, and framed art above the bed.
• Use luggage racks! Do not store your bags on or under the bed. bed bugs are great hitch-hikers and will climb into the crevices of your belongings.
• Don’t leave your dirty clothes scattered around the room. Keep your belongings off the floor, chairs, or dressers. bed bugs like piles of clothes to hide in.
• If you see signs of bugs, immediately request a room change. Do not accept a room change into an adjacent space either to the side or above/below you.
• When you return home, wash all clothing from your suitcase in hot water, even if you did not wear it. Dry with high heat to ensure all bugs are killed. Vacuum your luggage, making sure to get all the seams. If you have one, steaming your bags with a handheld garment steamer is a great idea as bed bugs can’t survive heat.

Don’t let bed bugs ruin your summer trip memories! If you do come home to find bed bug bites and think the bugs might have infested your bed, read more in our blogs to find out why heat treating your home is the best way to safely and effectively eradicate them. Does your pest company #GreenTechHeat? If they don’t contact one of ours.