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hotel beds that are not easy to inspect
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bedwarrior
newbite
Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 34
Posted 3 weeks ago
Thu Oct 29 2009 7:55:09
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I am on the road all the time for my job and we stay at 4 star places which present some difficulties for the BB inspection I now do as soon as I check in. The mattresses are already encased with a thick mattress pad, and sometimes even the boxspring is encased in a decoarative padded thing. The headboard is fixed to the wall. Are there any tricks to rooting out possible BB signs on these hard to inspect setups? I do my best to pull up all the detach the mattess pads here and there, and tug and pull on the mattress padding but it would be a mess to remove the multiple covers they have on at these places and then put it back. As for the fixed headboard- I hate that- I can't even squeeze a flashlight in there as the gap is so tight.
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I've recently stayed in hotel rooms with beds on fabric covered bases that are immovable. Padded headboards on walls. There's no way to tear it all apart. And I don't know if it would be worthwhile even I could.
When I travel, I don't expect to do a Killer-Queen-style inspection that would find the one lone bedbug in a room. I don't have the expertise, time, or strength. It's a cost/benefit thing. I focus on looking for more "obvious" signs of inspection, then protecting/isolating my luggage and belongings to prevent bringing a potential problem home.
I always check the mattress and boxsprings as best I can. If there's an encasement (more hotels are encasing), then I look at all surfaces that I have reasonable access too. If there isn't an encasement, I pay special attention to the seams on the side. I use a magnifier/light I picked up at Radio Shack. If the bed is too heavy to lift up all at once, I lift it up each side as I move around the bed. I just do the best I can.
I inspect the nightstands, headboards, luggage rack, desk and chair. If bedbugs have dispersed themselves from the actual bed, my hunch is the population will be more likely to spread to my stuff. I use a heavy white business card and sweep into all crevices that I can get into - in the drawers, etc, anywhere two pieces of wood/building materials meet. Even with a padded headboard, sometimes there's a frame that you can probe into.
I look in all the dresser drawers for obvious signs, though I don't probe crevices. I don't ever put my stuff in the dressers.
I travel very light. Febreze and handwashing clothes is the norm for me when traveling. I tie up my luggage in a large white garbage bag. White makes it easy to see if there's something dark on it. Put it in the bathroom, or in a location as far away as possible from sleep/lounge areas.
I do unpack the clothes I've brought and leave it somewhere I feel comfortable. I don't want the bother or risk of opening/resealing my luggage. I hang them up after inspecting clothes hangers (I can't help it). Although I've read at least one account of someone finding a bedbug on a shirt they left hanging on a hotel room. So you might find it too risky. Or I put the clothes somewhere else I feel safe. Recently, I stayed at a place with a marble table in the foyer. I left my folded clothes on top of that table.
Before I go home, I seal my clothes in a large ziploc bag. It all gets laundered and dried when I get home, including the stuff I'm wearing in transit. Just for my own peace of mind, I keep my luggage sealed up at home.
It all sounds nuts when I type it out like this. But this keeps me from getting stuck the energy drain of "what if I missed a straggler?" thoughts.
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parakeets
oldtimer
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 866
Posted 3 weeks ago
Thu Oct 29 2009 13:02:02
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I saw a tv setment where the reporter slid the padded headboard up vertically in hotel to show how to inspect for bedbugs behind it. Don't know if that will always work, but you might want to try it.
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bedwarrior
newbite
Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 34
Posted 3 weeks ago
Fri Oct 30 2009 7:49:56
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Some great tips-- thanks!
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