British tourists issued warning to never ‘unpack luggage in your bedroom’

Unpacking after a holiday is always a nightmare but it could be even worse if tourists unpack their luggage in their bedroom according to mattress experts.

The team at MattressNextDay has issued a warning to any British tourists returning from a summer holiday.

Martin Seeley, CEO and mattress expert, has warned tourists they could be bringing bed bugs into their bed if they unpack in their bedroom.

He said: “Unpack on a hard floor and not in your bedroom. When you get home, unpack your luggage in another location apart from your bedroom. Even better if it’s on hard flooring, as you won’t be able to spot bed bugs on a carpet.

“Inspect your suitcase closely and use a flashlight or torch to look into the seams, folds and pockets of your suitcase.”

He added that tourists should always vacuum clean their suitcase before putting it away in storage.

Bed bugs could hide within luggage and then move to a tourist’s bed, curtains or other soft furnishings.

Holidaymakers could also be making a key mistake when they arrive at their holiday accommodation.

Martin said: “Never put your suitcase on the hotel bed. It is common that when you initially arrive at your hotel, you might put your suitcase straight onto the bed without checking for bugs and begin unpacking.

“However, by doing this, you’re putting your luggage and clothes right onto the place where bed bugs are commonly found and giving them a free ticket home.”

Tourists should store their suitcase as close to the hotel room door as possible or keep it on the luggage rack.

Bed bugs are generally more attracted to dirty clothing rather than clean so tourists should bring a spare bag to store dirty washing.

Some hotels also offer a laundry service where tourists can get their dirty clothes cleaned during their stay.

Bed bugs often hide in the folds of mattresses and tourists should check their bed before settling in on holiday.