The Unsettling Reason You Should Never Leave Luggage On Hotel Room Floors

Frequent travelers often joke that there's a big difference between traveling and going on vacation. The latter is a restful experience that usually involves some combination of fruity cocktails and lounging by the pool. The former usually involves hours of sightseeing, taking various modes of transportation, and covering some serious ground. You may end up staying in several different accommodations throughout your travels, and by the time you check in you'll probably want nothing more than to throw your luggage on the ground and collapse on the bed. Unfortunately, that would be a mistake.

Before you can relax and rest your weary feet, it's important that you make sure that your luggage is properly put away. It's tempting to simply kick it into a corner out of the way, but hotel room floors are not somewhere that you want to leave your belongings.

Imagine how many people have checked in to your exact same hotel room over the last year. They may have arrived straight from the airport or checked in after walking through a busy train station. They probably spent hours wandering around the city taking in the sights, just like you. All of those guests who stayed in the room before you could have tracked in all sorts of dirt, germs, and even living organisms. Although hotel rooms are tidied between guests, the floors aren't always thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. If you could see all of the grime that lingers, you'd likely feel very unsettled, so you should never leave luggage on hotel room floors.

Hotel room floors get a lot of foot traffic. Someone may have started their day walking through city streets or they may have used a dirty public restroom. I don't want to paint too gruesome of a picture, but you can probably imagine the gross germs and bacteria that may have been tracked in on their shoes. When your luggage sits on the floor, it could be picking up some of those germs. When you touch your luggage again, germs and bacteria could transfer to your clothes and your body. If you hope to avoid getting sick while traveling, it's a good idea not to leave your luggage on the ground.

If keeping bedbugs out of your luggage is a priority, you definitely don't want to leave your bags carelessly on the floor of your hotel room. Bedbugs are a problem in hotels around the world, because once they arrive, they are extremely difficult to get rid of. Your bedding isn't the only thing you should be worried about, despite the name. Bedbugs could be hiding in the carpet of your hotel room, too. If you end up accidentally transporting them home with you, it will be a nightmare trying to get rid of them. Taking some extra precautions when you arrive in your hotel room and making sure that you properly store your luggage will help ensure that you come home bedbug-free.

Another concern is that there may be dust and dirt hiding in the carpet. Hard-sided luggage is easy enough to wipe down and clean, but if you have soft-sided luggage, that dirt from the hotel room floor can quickly start to make your luggage look dingy.

Instead of carelessly leaving your luggage on the hotel room floor, take a few extra moments to store it properly. There are likely all kinds of options located throughout your hotel room that are designed to serve the purpose of keeping your luggage off the floor.

If your hotel room has a closet or a wardrobe, that is the best choice for storing your belongings. In fact, if you are staying in your accommodations for more than a single night, it's a good idea to go ahead and unpack so that you can feel more comfortable and organized throughout your stay. Hang up the clothes that you'll be wearing, place your shoes strategically near the door, and sit your luggage upright in the closet or wardrobe.

Luggage racks are another wonderful option. You will usually find them folded up near the bed or tucked away in the closest. Find a place that is out of the way, unfold the luggage rack, and place your bag on top of it so that you can access it whenever you need to. If you don't have a closet or a luggage rack available, consider using a chair or another piece of furniture. If all else fails and the floor is your only option, consider opting for a non-carpeted area of your hotel room like the hallway or a kitchenette.