How to Check for Bed Bugs in Your Hotel Room

 

This post is according to a flight attendant.

Hot tip: Never put your bag on your bed.

With stories of bed bugs crawling all over the news, a flight attendant, with trusted TikTok advice, is here to arm you with much needed tips for travel.

“It is more important now than ever to be checking your hotel rooms for bed bugs — and your Airbnbs,” Cari Curri, a flight attendant, said.

As a flight attendant, Curri noted that she doesn’t get to choose where she stays. However, no matter where she stays, she always checks for bed bugs, mentioning that she's even had bed bugs in an Airbnb.

Her cautionary post comes after a wave of bed bugs has come over France,  specifically in Paris, where the creepy crawly bugs have been spotted everywhere, from luxury hotels to the metro, movie theaters to the train lines, and everywhere in between.

To protect herself and her belongings, Curri shared that she always does a few things upon check-in. First, she doesn’t allow her bags to “go past the hard floor onto the carpet, and definitely never go on the bed,” as this could cause your fabric items to get contaminated. 

Next, she pulls up the bedding all the way to the mattress level, checking every corner. 

“I do this when the lights are off, and I use my phone’s flashlight, and I check the creases,” she said, lifting up the entire mattress to check underneath too. Curri also noted if the headboard is fabric she checks that too.

Then, she checks any fabric seating or avoids it altogether. She then noted to check the luggage rack, especially in the crevices, to “see if I spot any.”

“If you do find bed bugs or what you think is evidence of bed bugs, go ahead and call down to the front desk,” she said. “I suggest you get another room and check again.” Curri added, “Those suckers are sneaky.” 

Kind of like lice, bed bugs do not like tea tree oils, they also don’t like peppermint oils, and they don’t like lavender, she said in her video. You can make a spray and spray it on the outside of your bag to act as a repellent,” she shared, a fact that is backed up by experts like"bedbuginsider.com, who explain that tea tree oil can kill bed bugs instantly by soaking into their exoskeleton, though they do note it “requires direct contact to work.” 

Curri also suggests using lemongrass oil.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests unpacking immediately when you get home, putting your clothing “directly into a washing machine,” and taking the time to inspect your luggage. It also noted to dry your clothing immediately too. Finally, the EPA added to put your luggage away, preferably in a basement or garage away from your bedroom, and warned to “never store suitcases under your bed.”

https://www.travelandleisure.com/how-to-protect-your-luggage-from-bed-bugs-according-to-a-flight-attendant-8347606?hid=ec5fe9702f8f8444d916e0f84dcbe41c191e254f&did=10487542-20231005&utm_source=tal&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=just-in_newsletter&utm_content=100523&utm_term=PM&lctg=ec5fe9702f8f8444d916e0f84dcbe41c191e254f