Why You Should Never Put Your Clothes in a Hotel Dresser, According to a Doctor

Dr. Jason Singh would really like you to avoid unpacking your clothes — or at least to reconsider where you put them during your next hotel stay. 

“Alright, so how many of you completely unpack your clothes from your suitcase into a hotel dresser,” Singh began in his Instagram clip. “I want to know because hotel dressers, especially those that are made of wood or have joints or crevices, are a risk for bed bug infestation. So, it’s not just beds that have bed bugs; hotel dressers can have them, too, and they’re not readily cleaned either.”

Indeed, Singh is onto something. As the pros at Terminix noted on their website, “When checking other furniture for signs of bed bugs in a hotel room, a flashlight can help illuminate dark areas and allow you to see into crevices where bed bugs may hide. Inspect any seams, folds, or crevices on the front and back of chairs, couches, pillows, and cushions. You’ll also want to check the joints, cracks, and crevices of desks, nightstands, and dressers.”

Beyond the bed, Terminix also adds that bed bugs can be found in other places, including on “walls or ceilings behind wallpaper, picture frames, electrical outlets, and baseboards. Additionally, bed bugs may travel along walls and ceilings to move between rooms or find new hiding spots.” 

To mitigate the risk of bed bugs attacking your clothing, Singh recommends storing items in hotel closets or hanging spaces rather than putting them in drawers. Or, even easier, he suggests not unpacking at all and simply “pulling them straight out of your suitcase,”  

However, there is one more approach: placing your luggage in a hotel bathtub upon arrival. It’s the safest spot for avoiding bed bug infestations and gives you the time and space to search your room to ensure its a bug-free environment. 

“Having been ‘stung’ in the past by having ants enter my backpack on one trip and bed bugs while on a different vacation, I have now learned I need to either clean the hard storage surface first — I carry antibacterial wipes for this — or if I have a bathtub in the room, then that’s the better option for keeping my luggage,” Daniel Clarke, travel expert and director of Parklink, previously shared with Travel + Leisure. “The bathtub not only proves itself to be an efficient use of space if you have a small room, but I have found no unwanted bugs or insects have stowed away in my bags since storing my luggage there.”