Doctor Explains Why You Should Wait Awhile Before Unpacking Your Suitcase After Coming Home From A Vacation
Here's the perfect excuse to be lazy after your vacation.
Art_Photo | Shutterstock Nothing about coming home from a vacation is really fun. You’re leaving your destination and returning to the ordinary, which can be both disappointing and jarring.
Many would agree that one of the worst parts of arriving home is having to unpack. Thanks to one doctor, there may be a good reason to wait a little while before emptying your suitcase.
Dr. Jason Singh explained why it’s best to wait a bit before unpacking your suitcase after a trip.
Dr. Jason Singh shares “medical tips and inspo” with the public. In a recent video, he advised vacation-goers to hold off on unpacking their suitcases when they return home. “So, here’s why you shouldn’t unpack your suitcase right after coming home from a vacation,” Dr. Singh began, "especially if you stayed in a hotel."
“Bed bugs,” he stated. “Bed bug eggs typically hatch within six to ten days, and the nymphs require a blood meal shortly after hatching to continue their development.”
Obviously, no one wants their home infested with bed bugs and Dr. Singh shared how you can make sure that doesn’t happen by leaving your suitcase closed. “Now, if your suitcase remains closed and undisturbed for at least two weeks, well, any bed bug egg or nymph present will likely die due to starvation or desiccation,” he explained.
Vlada Karpovich | Canva Pro
Dr. Singh said this is really a win-win situation because it not only kills the bed bugs but also allows you to be “lazy.”
“So, now you have a reason to be lazy just like me and just let your suitcase hang there [on] the side,” he said, amused. “I mean, let’s be honest, what kind of, what kind of psycho unpacks right away?”
Although they may not be discussed frequently, bed bugs are more common in hotels than ever.
Pest-control company Orkin performed research to discover just how prevalent bed bugs are in hotels. Their findings were startling.
According to Orkin, “90% of hotels have treated for bed bugs,” which includes “82% in the past year.”
Orkin explained just how easy it is for bed bugs to make their way into a hotel.
“Bed bugs can check in with guests, leading to an introduction of the pest,” they said. “A bed bug introduction occurs when just one pregnant female bed bug or multiple bed bugs get inside a hotel. These bed bugs haven’t started reproducing yet — but they could, and that’s what can lead to an infestation.”
Bed bugs have led to thousands of dollars in damage for hotels, in addition to costly and reputation-damaging lawsuits.
Bed bugs aren’t just a hassle for hotels to deal with.
As Dr. Singh’s comments indicated, bed bugs can be carried back home from hotels. This makes them a problem for the average person as well.
The Mayo Clinic explained just how bothersome bed bugs can be, noting, “They hide in the cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards, bed frames, and other objects around a bed and come out at night to feed on their preferred host, humans.”
They confirmed, “The risk of running into bed bugs is higher if you spend time in places where nighttime guests come and go often — such as hotels, hospitals or homeless shelters.”
andresr | Canva Pro
The Mayo Clinic added that bed bug bites are “similar to symptoms of other insect bites and rashes,” noting that they are often itchy.
Bed bugs are a nuisance no one wants to encounter. By taking some extra time to unpack, as Dr. Singh suggested, you may be able to avoid them altogether — at least in your home.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.