Five Hotel Room Habits to Avoid and Safer Alternatives to Use

You have checked in, set down your bag, and removed your shoes, and the room may feel familiar in an instant. That moment is when small, avoidable habits can create problems. The following five hotel room practices are worth changing, each with a simple alternative that takes only a few seconds and does not require excessive worry.

The short version: Keep your suitcase on a rack or in the bathroom, use any extra door lock and verify who is outside before opening, keep valuables out of sight and secured, rinse or replace hotel drinking glasses if you want an added precaution, and use the kettle only for water.

Five habits to avoid in a hotel room

1Do not put your suitcase on the bed

Verdict: avoid it. The EPA recommends placing luggage on a rack rather than the bed or floor while packing and unpacking. The Northeastern IPM Center offers another option: keep bags in the bathroom, even in the bathtub, until the room has been checked. The purpose is to separate luggage from likely bed-bug hiding spots.

Perform a quick inspection before settling in. The EPA advises checking the mattress, headboard, and luggage rack. The Northeastern IPM Center adds the mattress seams, piping, labels, and suggests sliding a card behind a wall-mounted headboard.

2Do not use hotel glasses without washing them

Verdict: rinse them first if you prefer an extra precaution. A small 2012 study by University of Houston researchers sampled 19 surfaces in each of nine hotel rooms. The TV remote and bedside lamp switch had high bacterial levels, and some of the heaviest contamination appeared on housekeeping carts, where sponges and mops could move germs between rooms. The study did not report results for drinking glasses, so it does not establish how often hotel glasses are contaminated. Washing one glass takes about a minute: use hot water and dish soap, rinse thoroughly, and air-dry it, or use your own cup or bottle.

3Do not skip the extra door lock and viewer

Verdict: use them. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recommends checking that the door is locked every time you enter or leave, and using any additional security locks when available. Do not open the door unless you know who is outside; if unexpected hotel services arrive, call to verify. The U.S. State Department suggests confirming that every door and window locks properly when you arrive, including the bathroom door, and meeting visitors in the lobby rather than the room. If your door has a viewer, use it before opening the door. AAA cites security consultant Chris McGoey, who warns that some devices can be used to look into a room through a viewer; he suggests covering it with opaque tape or an adhesive bandage when not in use.

4Do not leave valuables exposed

Verdict: keep them secured, and do not assume the in-room safe is fully secure. Las Vegas police recommend storing valuables in the room safe or at the front desk, maintaining a list of items stored, and keeping luggage locked. AAA cautions that in-room safes may be openable with master keys or override codes, so they are not ideal for high-value items. Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott suggests carrying valuables with you or placing them in the hotel’s main safe.

5Do not use the kettle for anything other than water

Verdict: water only. You may not know what the previous guest used the kettle for, and soup, noodles, or eggs can leave residue that is difficult to rinse from a small appliance. Treat this as a practical house rule rather than a documented health hazard. If the kettle looks stained or smells unusual, skip it and ask the front desk for hot water or use the lobby coffee station.

After the trip: protect your own home

• Unpack directly into the washer. The EPA recommends transferring clothes directly to the washing machine and inspecting luggage carefully. It notes that washing alone generally will not kill bed bugs, while a hot dryer cycle will.
• Use the dryer. The Northeastern IPM Center suggests 30 minutes in a dryer on high and separating anything questionable in a bag from clean laundry.
• Store luggage away from the bedroom. The EPA recommends keeping suitcases outside the bedroom, such as in a basement or garage, and never under the bed.
• Report bed bugs if you find them. The Northeastern IPM Center advises notifying the host or hotel manager and requesting a different room, not simply the next one.

Hotel room questions, answered

Is it safe to put a suitcase on a hotel bed?

It is not recommended. The EPA advises using a luggage rack instead of the bed or floor.

Are hotel room safes secure?

Not entirely. AAA cautions that in-room safes can often be opened with master keys or override codes, so use them for everyday items and keep irreplaceable items with you or in the hotel’s main safe.

Should you open the door if someone knocks at your hotel room?

Only if you know who is outside. Las Vegas police recommend calling to verify if unexpected hotel services appear at your door.

Should you wash hotel glasses before using them?

A small 2012 University of Houston study found high bacteria levels on some hotel room surfaces but did not report results for drinking glasses, so it does not establish how commonly hotel glasses are contaminated. If you prefer an extra precaution, wash the glass with dish soap and hot water or use your own cup.

The bottom line

Most hotel room mistakes come from treating the space as cleaner and more secure than it may be. Keep the suitcase on the rack, use any extra lock, verify before opening the door, rinse or replace the glass if desired, and limit the kettle to water. If something seems off, request a different room.

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