If you will be staying in a hotel during the coming weeks, you might be a bit nervous about the potential for bringing home bed bugs. These pesky critters are becoming more and more of a nuisance in recent years, and for many people, the infestation begins after they bring the bed bugs home from a trip. Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to avoid bringing bed bugs home after a hotels stay.

1. Choose your hotel carefully.

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs do not just live in dirty buildings. There have been infestations in nicer hotels, too. So staying in a hotel is no guarantee that you won't come across bed bugs. However, the chance are lower since higher-end, more reputable hotels tend to be more proactive about taking care of problems when they do occur. If the hotel did have a problem with bed bugs, they are more likely to have handled it properly and professionally than a lower-end hotel that may lack the funds to hire an exterminator.

2. Inspect the room.

When you arrive at your hotel room, conduct your own quick bed bug inspection to ensure the room is free of these pests. Whip back the covers on the bed as fast as you can so that if there are bugs present, you catch them in action before they can scurry away. Also look for any reddish brown specs on the sheets. These are bed bug feces. Check the seams of sofas and soft chairs for bugs, too.

3. Keep your clothes in the suitcases.

Do not unpack your clothes and put them in the drawers, and don't store them on the sofa, either. If there are bed bugs in the room and you have failed to discover them, the best way to protect your clothing is to put your bag up on a hard surface, like a dresser, and keep your clothing zipped up inside.

4. Launder everything when you come home.

When you get home, wash all of your clothing in hot water and then place it in the dryer on high heat. If there are any bed bugs in the clothing, the heat will kill them. Do this immediately when you get home, bringing your clothes straight into the laundry room from the car. Wash any soft shoes you wore on the trip, along with any blankets or sheets you brought along, too.