Planning your next holiday? Don’t be fooled into thinking your summer clothes are safe and sound in your hotel room.
Now, you might have a ritual that sees you immediately unpack your clothes into the provided wardrobe or dresser when you check into a hotel - but you’ve now been warned against doing so.
A doctor has come out to tell the people of TikTok that this is your number one mistake when travelling and you’ll find out why.
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Whether you like to have your going out clothes readily available and crease-free, it doesn’t matter the reason for hanging your clothes, because you could end up with an infestation.
An infestation of what, I hear you cry?
Well, dear reader… you could be in for a bed bug infestation.
That’s right. According to Dr. Jason Singh, it’s one of the most prolific places to harbour the little critters.
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Dr. Singh took to TikTok and claimed that dressers that are ‘made of wood’ or have ‘crevices’ that are a hot bed for bed bugs, as they aren’t ‘readily cleaned’.
These bugs can then infest your clothes and then your room- which isn’t something you want to deal with.
What’s worse, what if they decided to stay on your clothing and come back home with you? Now you’re forking out thousands on a professional infestation service.
To be honest, it’s best to just steer clear of all drawers and wardrobes.
Instead, Dr. Singh suggests using the closets or hanging spaces which are generally open and not enclosed, as he said this will ‘mitigate risks’.
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If you want to take it a step further, he even said you could pull your clothing directly out of the suitcase instead of unpacking (which I thought most of us did anyway).
But commenters were sceptical under his video which reached thousands of curious viewers.
One person wrote: “If we are going to risk sleeping in a bed with potential bed bugs then we are unpacking properly. Do people take sleeping bag when they stay in a hotel just to avoid potential risk?”
Another queried: “Been traveling for business for 20 years and NEVER have even seen a bed bug. Pick the right hotels.”
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If you thought he was bluffing, even the professionals came out to defend him.
One ex-infestation expert said: “Retired pest control operator here never used dressers. Keep your suitcase in the bathtub and get your clothes that you need from it. It’s not just bedbugs. It’s roaches as well.”
Someone else took his advice to heart and wrote: “Not anymore apparently.”
The Clothes Doctor, a clothing care specialise, wrote on its website about the dangers of bedbugs and clothing.
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The company wrote: “These tiny, blood-sucking pests can turn a peaceful night's sleep into a living nightmare.
"While the focus is often on treating the infestation in your mattress and furniture, it's equally important to protect your clothes, as bed bugs can easily infest your wardrobe.”
So, listen to the experts and check your wardrobe before you put your clothes in it, or do what the ex-pest control guy said and store it in the bath.
Britt Jones