Doctor reveals grim reason why you shouldn't immediately unpack your suitcase after a holiday

After the plane touches down, you've got your luggage from the carousel and clambered into the car, it's back to reality.

Soon, your out of office will no longer be on and all you are left with is a fading tan, a pile of washing and perhaps a small souvenir to remind you of your holiday.

A lot of people - including myself - like to get the post-travel chores out of the way as soon as possible, so it's all systems go from the minute we open the front door.

However, if you are someone who immediately unpacks their suitcase as soon as they get home, you might want to think twice about your returning-from-abroad ritual.

That's because medics have warned that if you are immediately decanting your clothing out of your luggage, you could also be unknowingly inviting some unwelcome guests into your pad too.

Dr Jason Singh, from Virginia, explained that delaying your unpacking might be the best option after all.

In a TikTok video which has since gone viral, the expert explained that holidaymakers should hesitate before taking out all of their vacation outfits, 'especially if you stayed in a hotel'.

Dr Singh said: "Bed bug eggs typically hatch within six to 10 days, and the nymphs require a blood meal shortly after hatching to continue their development."

Nymphs are essentially the baby form of bed bugs - and you can often spot the signs of them, because they shed their exoskeletons every time they grow before eventually reaching adulthood.

The medic continued: "Now, if your suitcase remains closed or undisturbed for at least two weeks, any bed bug egg or nymph present will likely die, due to starvation or desiccation (lack of moisture)."

"So now, you have a reason to be lazy just like me. Just let your suitcase hang there on the side," he added.

"I mean let's be honest, what kind of psycho unpacks right away?"

I'll pretend I didn't take offence to that, Dr Singh.

Anyway, keeping your suitcase shut will obviously prevent any of these pests from invading your home - and like the doctor said, it's great news for those who find themselves procrastinating post-holiday.

Others also recommend blasting their clothes on a very hot cycle in the washing machine to kill bedbugs and any eggs.

If you're hungry for more bed bug trivia, Dr Singh also previously took to TikTok to warn tourists not to hang their garments up in hotel wardrobes.

He claimed that dressers that are ‘made of wood’ or have ‘crevices’ are a hot bed for bed bugs, as they aren’t ‘readily cleaned’ - and if you're not careful, you'll be bringing a boatload of the pests home with you.

Sounds like staying in the country is probably your best option to avoid bed bugs.