I’m a flight attendant – here’s how to tell if your hotel room is infested with bed bugs

A flight attendant has shared the simple way you can find out if your hotel room is infested with bed bugs using a household item.

Hannah Hudson Kimmel, a Southwest Airlines employee from Chicago, recently went viral after she shared some vital tips to uncovering whether or not a hotel room is filled with creepy crawlers on TikTok.

As someone who often has to bunk up in a hotel due to her job, she explained that the ‘first thing she does’ when she arrives is examine the bed for little pests.

To do so, she said she pulls up all the sheets and looks closely at the corners of the mattress for any signs of bugs.

But even if you don’t see anything, she said they still could be present and simply hiding – and according to the flight attendant, there is one common object will help ‘draw them out.’

Hanna revealed that she takes a bar of soap and leaves it on the bed for a little while before coming back to check for bugs.

Hannah Hudson Kimmel, a Southwest Airlines employee from Chicago, went viral after she shared some vital tips

‘I am a flight attendant… and I’ve been flying for a little over a year. Here are some things I do to check for bed bugs,’ she began in the viral video.

‘First, you need to pull up all the sheets and check the corners to see if there’s any bugs. 

‘The other thing you can do is put a bar of soap at the end your bed and leave to go do something. The bar of soap draws out the bed bugs.’

In addition, Hannah added that bed bugs are ‘attracted to the carbon dioxide that you breathe out,’ so she recommended ‘breathing on the bed’ to see if any come crawling out.

‘Bed bugs are no joke and when they bite you it’s painful, the bites are red and big and they cause swelling. So make sure you check for bed bugs,’ she concluded.

A hospitality expert named Halee previously went viral after she shared her own advice to uncovering unwanted guests in your hotel room.

The avid traveler explained that you should check for the bugs ‘before you unpack,’ as well as recommending turning off all the lights and using your phone flashlight when searching the mattress.

As someone who often has to bunk up in a hotel due to her job, she explained that the ‘first thing she does’ when she arrives is examine the bed for little pests (stock image) 

To do so, she said she pulls up all the sheets and looks closely at the corners of the mattress for any signs of bugs

But even if you don’t see anything, she said they still could be present and simply hiding – and according to the flight attendant, putting a bar of soap on your bed will help ‘draw them out’ 

She suggested you check the corners and creases of the bed, as well as any sofas and headboards. 

‘The first thing you’re going to want to do is make sure your room is dark: Turn off the lights, close any shades, and use the flashlight on your phone,’ she explained. 

‘And while everything is off, you’re going to come up here under the covers… you’re going to check on all the creases here on the bed.’

Halee added that the reason you should check for bed bugs in the dark is because they are ‘nocturnal, so they’re more likely to be out and about looking for their pray.’ 

She said you should keep an eye out for ‘blood spots,’ as these are usually an indication that bed bugs are nearby.