Do you clean your luggage after a trip?

After this last trip, I wiped our suitcases (both hard and soft-sided, wheels & handle included) down with anti-bacterial wipes, emptied out and sun-aired them. I have vacuumed a suitcase a time or two the past if really needed (if something crumbled and I couldn't just brush it out).

I think the article is a little excessive. Suitcases are going to get banged up, scratched, etc. I'm not going to stress unless there's a big stain I want to try to remove from the soft-sided. I think I may continue disinfecting the wheels, though--my cats and dog are usually interested in my luggage when I get home.

Do you clean your luggage after a trip?

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

After a trip, I empty bags completely and leave them open in a sunny spot for a few days. Nothing more.

I tell myself that worn, smudged bags are less attractive to thieves.

I always put my suitcase in a black trash bag and put it in the hot sun for a day. I figure that will kill any bedbugs or other bugs.

I have been thinking about this more lately. Maybe I am getting old, maybe the pandemic, who knows?

I am not concerned about stains. I am more concerned about the "ick" factor. I have started wiping down the exterior to sanitize them. It makes sense to maintenance the wheels so they work properly. And vacuum any crumbs that gather in the bag. Otherwise I will not be making sure it looks new.

Cleaning doesn't hurt so why not? Sunshine is great for airing stuff out.

Another current suggestion is to put your bag in the tub for a day or two, in case you brought home unwanted souvenirs.

I try to combine chores to make my life easier. When I get home, I tie my bag to the top of my car. Then I go to the car wash. My car and my bag both get clean.

Hot wax is optional. On one hand, it makes it easier to slide it in and out of the overhead. On the other hand, wax on the wheels makes the thing roll faster than a bullet train.

Yes, I definitely wipe down our luggage after a trip. We use regular cleaner like Fantastik, or even vinegar and water. For me, the main thing is to wipe off accumulated dirt and grim.

Often, the luggage sits opened for several days right by the hallway that leads to our garage. It sits there mostly because we're too pooped to take care of the luggage until several days to a week later.

Frank II, you made me laugh. 🤣

It depends on the trip. If I use a backpack and it's for a trip 2 weeks or longer in cities, I wash it when I get back. I wash my TB Co-Pilot too.

If I'm using a roller bag for any length of time I wipe it down when I get home with alcohol-based hand towelettes. It sits out for a few days before it goes back in storage.

I usually wash all the packing cubes and stuff sacks used on a trip because they absorb all the hotel room cleaning fumes. Yuck.

Like coming home with unused Euros, I just save all my bedbugs from the previous trip for the next one... 🐞🐞🐞

Frank! And David!

You guys both made me laugh! Frank, do you have to do a 2nd trip thru the car wash to get the bottom side done? And in all your luggage testing how does the Osprey Ozone do with the hot wax, haha!

Good to know what everyone else does! I guess I should so something about cleaning the wheels and maybe at least look at the exterior, haha. I agree with not really caring if it looks like new or not. I want it used looking as someone said upthread...might discourage thieves.

Pam, wow, I’m thinking about sitting at the opposite end of the table at our next meeting - LOL!

When we return home from a trip, I have us leave our luggage in the garage for a day. One of the next days, I open my bag in the laundry room, and immediately place the clothes in the washing machine. The suitcase or backpack go to our covered patio and air out for a few days. They’re not smelly, but I do like them to get some air. Afterwards, I place a small bar of soap in the suitcase and store it back up on the closet shelf.

We’ve never wiped down or cleaned the inside or outside of the luggage.

I also place a large bath towel on the guest bed while packing for the next trip - just out of habit.

Something I haven’t cleaned for awhile that’s in a similar category is my Baggalini purse. I usually washed it in the washing machine on the shortest, handwash cycle and hang to dry. I probably started doing that when a drop of melted gelato would land on a purse occasionally. ; )

Mardee nailed it. : )

"Pam, wow, I’m thinking about sitting at the opposite end of the table at our next meeting - LOL!"

I promise I shower before every meeting. If I do have a request to bring the Ozone...I'll wipe it down, lol!!

Good topic, Pam!
I’ll read the article later.
I do most of what the rest of you do.
I never take my case further than the laundry room after a trip.
I empty it all out in there, then leave it open in the garage for a few days; or outside on a bench in the sun if it’s warm weather, for at least 8 hours.
Even if I bring clean clothes home, every single piece of clothing I took with me gets washed right after arriving home.
I thoroughly wipe down the wheels of the case with disinfectant and store it away after a few days of airing out , with bar soap or dryer sheets inside.
My packing cubes get sink washed and hung to dry, or dried in the sun.
Then I’m ready for the next adventure.

Frank II: you could get a good business going there, I’m sure! 🤣

I also put down an old beach towel under the case when packing…..and one over it if it sits for a while, to keep the cat hair off! 😊 He usually sits on top of it.

I have never cleaned nor disinfected my luggage! We’ve taken trips all over the world for the past 25 yr, no problems.

I wash both of our suitcases and our back packs after trips. Not for weekend trips or others in the car but anytime we get on a flight and drag suitcases through the streets and on trains. I simply use the soaker tub with warm water and some laundry soap. Soak it for awhile, drain, rinse, and when it is no longer dripping haul it out to dry on the patio.

I am not so worried about bedbugs but rather about what we are dragging them through in the streets and general accumulated filth on a one-or-two-month trip.

I just realized that if my bag was open while going through the car wash, and I kept my dirty clothes inside, I could get my laundry done while getting my bag and car washed.

But I'd have to forego the hot wax.

I wipe the wheels down with Clorox wipes and sometimes also the shell of the roller bag. If it is a backpack that can't be washed, then I might spray it with Lysol and let it sit for a day in the garage. The packing cubes and lightweight backpacks or duffels from Eddie Bauer (the Stowaway line specifically) go in the wash on a delicate cycle and then I let them drip dry.

Idk, frank, if the clothes are also waxed, think how well they would repell stains

I’m enjoying the continued posts!! I’ve never washed my packing cubes either…😬. Guess I have my work cut out for me!

Frank…maybe if you hot waxed your clothes you would not have to wash them as frequently. Which frequent poster gets his jeans starched? Hot wax might work the same way? 😂😂

Good heavens, do you people have that much time on your hands? I must say, it never occurred to me to clean our luggage. Even after recently returning from supposedly bedbug infested Paris.

So yes, I stand with Mardee and Carroll.

Good heavens, do you people have that much time on your hands? I must say, it never occurred to me to clean our luggage. Even after recently returning from supposedly bedbug infested Paris.

LOL. So I suppose you are also ok wearing your outdoors shoes all around inside the house and wearing shoes in bed? I know some people really do that. We don't. We have indoor slippers we change into. We never wear shoes inside the house.

Pam, This post is makes me smile.

I will admit I never used to clean my luggage unless there was something obvious UNTIL I walked the Camino Frances in Spain. There was so much discussion about bed bugs in social media on the Camino before I went that I took heed...or got paranoid. I put a large trash bag in the car for when I was collected after my trip to place my luggage in so it would cook in the car awhile and not leave bedbugs in the car. As I never saw or felt a single bedbug, I did not use it.

Now knowing the exposure can be from many sources, I am more cautious. If I have seen no sign of bedbugs, I don't use the trash bag in the car or when I get home. Nonetheless, I bring my luggage up to my balcony or to the bathroom closest to the entrance to my unit. I immediately either run the dryer on all soft items or wash and dry with heat. I inspect carefully everything else that comes out of the bag. I have also been known, since, to use the blow dryer on the luggage as well. I also wipe it down with Clorox wipes for non-bed bug reasons. I never put my suitcase on the bed now. When I used to do so, I always put a towel underneath. As I recently moved to a multiunit building, I don't want to be the one who infects the whole place and has to pay for clean up. LOL (Although realistically, as I have only one small common wall, that would be a stretch.) Also, in a great organizing endeavor-the fit hits me on rare occasions-all my bags and suitcases are now in the front hall closet, far away from the bedrooms and living area that have the textiles and wood where they love to hide. What? Did I hear you say paranoid? LOL

PS, I travel with dryer sheets in my bags and place new ones in when unpacked. According to a Rutgers study, they don't like those dryer sheets so why not? I always used them anyway.

“I suppose you are also ok wearing your outdoors shoes all around inside the house”

Yes, I do. But to be fair I live in a smaller city than many and I spend a good bit of time outside. I do have hiking shoes I usually take off at the door. Right now they are jammed with mud from a wet hike this morning so are in the laundry room awaiting further intervention, lol.

Editing to add:

“PS, I travel with dryer sheets in my bags and place new ones in when unpacked. According to a Rutgers study, they don't like those dryer sheets so why not? I always used them anyway.”

I did NOT. Know this! Does it have to be the scented or can they be unscented sheets?

Nope! Never occurred to me. I put dirty laundry in a sealed plastic bag. Shoes are each in a sealed plastic bag.

Unfortunately not, I haven’t washed or cleaned by luggage after a trip. I seldomly do a quick wipe to take out black stains. But sometimes my sister borrows it and cleans it before giving it back. 😅

I think not wearing your outdoor shoes in the house is a regional thing. There was a post about this a couple of years ago, and I was one of the people who was very surprised to hear there were Americans who followed this custom.

The only time I take off my outdoor shoes in the house is if they are muddy or snow covered.

But no, I don’t wear my shoes in bed. Socks or fuzzy booties sometimes, though, when my feet are cold.

This is a great stream . I once almost sent stinky shoes home from Florence. Tossed them instead.
I have never cleaned a bag but do open them up and let them air out in the sun.

I had to clean my luggage BEFORE a recent trip. I have the original RS 22" rolling carry-on, which I purchased in 2002. It's still in great shape, but the polyester fabric has started to "weep" - like many plastics when they age, it will eventually feel sticky when touched. So I used a soapy mixture of Dawn in warm water to rub it down with a rag.

It outperformed my traveling companions' spinners navigating cobblestones in Rome and Lucca.

Here in Canada we almost always remove our shoes before entering someone’s house.

People generally ask when visiting “Shall I take my shoes off?”
Occasionally, they are told to leave them on, but only in summer when it’s dry outside.
Winter shoes and boots always come off on entry.
I guess it might be to do with our weather?
Lots of us keep new clean socks or slippers in a basket near the door for visitors.
And lots of us bring slippers with us for when we go to other people’s homes

I wash my suitcase wheels as I’ve seen what can be on the streets out there, and it is definitely on the wheels after a trip!

Frank II: you are giving us lots of time saving tips here…….🤣

Now I'm worrying about what else I'm not doing.

Nah, not really! 😁

Jane,
Although Canadian, I went to a small college in Washington State. You could tell when you were at the Canadian Club's faculty home party because the entry way was filled with all the students' shoes...

I found a little plaque at a bazaar here in WA. It's near my front door..."Life has choices...remove your shoes or scrub the floor" But really, unless it's wintery outside I tell my guests to leave their shoes on because I have mostly wooden floors and fur-shedding creatures. I also have a basket of fuzzy gift socks/slippers available.

Interesting question Pam. I never thought about putting a towel on the bed under the suitcase. I pack a garbage bag to put over the suitcase if it rains but haven’t needed to use it.

Clean luggage, like soap & water cleaning, no. I spot wipe dirty spots and might spray the inside with Lysol. I think I’ve washed packing cubes once, same with backpack, purse and tote. Dirty clothes go in a lightweight nylon string backpack so they’re not hugging clean clothes.

I wash all my clothes, dirty and clean, when I get home after doing hand wash for almost a month. This includes my shoes. While traveling I wrap my shoes in a shower cap to contain street dirt.

SJ
LOL, I got distracted and hadn't finished my post so I didn't see yours until I posted mine!

I grew up in the Midwest, and we didn’t take our shoes off in the house unless they were muddy, wet or snowy. But after I was married, and we moved to Oregon (in the ‘80’s), everyone in our young neighborhood took off shoes inside the front door. I assumed it started because all of us had very light-colored carpet and young kids.

When I have people coming to our home (which is often), I have some shoe trays that are handy to line up the shoes and keep anything wet off of the hardwood floors. Visiting friends, it’s a habit to always remove my shoes. It definitely cuts down on dirt on rugs & carpet.

This thread is getting more and more interesting!

I grew up taking my shoes off and putting on house slippers when coming home or visiting my friends' homes. It's very common in many cultures! It's a sign of respect.

I always take some sort of slippers with me when traveling. Hotel rugs are gross. Also, I believe the TV remote control is rarely cleaned by hotel staff ;)

Idk, frank, if the clothes are also waxed, think how well they would repell stains

Frank…maybe if you hot waxed your clothes you would not have to wash them as frequently. Which frequent poster gets his jeans starched? Hot wax might work the same way? 😂😂

But if all my clothes were waxed, I might jump into bed, slide across, and fall off the other end.

Seriously, I will wipe off any visible dirt from my bag and deal with any stains. Other than that, it is what it is.

If you plan to store a bag for a long time, putting a dryer sheet in it will not only help with bugs but also keep the inside fresh and clean.

If you are going to store ithe bag n a place that can get damp--garage, storage unit--put in a few dessicant/silica gel packs to absorb moistrue and prevent mildew or bad odors.

Uh, oh! Starting to feel inadequate here. 🥴

Except for spot cleaning, I've never cleaned or sanitized any of my roller bags. I do wash any other kind of bag that I can in the washing machine on "tap cold," even some that say not to. That includes backpacks, totes, purses and packing cubes.

And I also put dryer sheets in all my bags or with them in the flip-top boxes where I store most of my smaller travel packing gear. I also put them in some of my shoes at home, largely to keep potential spiders or scorpions out. We have a service that sprays to keep them away, but nothing is 100%.

I was doing the dryer sheet thing even before I met a woman who was waving one around where there were bees. She was highly allergic and said that it helped protect her from stings. Thanks to her, I started putting one on my dog's collar and in the band of my hat for our walks in the spring when the bees (mostly Africanized) are out gathering pollen from the amazing yellow blossoms of the Palo Verde trees that surround us. If out early enough, the bees are asleep, but once the sun is up, every tree is buzzing. Occasionally a scout would "bee-bump" a warning that we were getting too close. But mostly they had a job to do and stuck to it.

As for shoes not in the house, except for muddy or wet shoes or barn boots, I never heard of that until I met someone from Switzerland. None of the places I lived until I went to college had carpet. Carpet or not, there would be rugs outside and inside the exterior doors to wipe our shoes on before moving farther into the house.

I guess it's just a matter of how you grow up. I'd never leave my shoes outside the house. In an attached garage, mud room or just inside an exterior door, sure. We may change shoes when we get home from errand trips in the car, local walks on our dirt roads or just walking out on the dirt that surrounds our house. That's for comfort and support (doctor's orders) on our concrete floors. By the time we do that, we've already walked on at least 20-30 feet of rugs and our shoes are clean. 😉

I don't but I really like the idea of airing it out on a screen porch. And I'm very concerned that my husband refuses to take any precautions against bedbugs on his many business trips. He refuses to believe that bedbugs can be a problem in the type of hotels he uses when everyone says that the price of the hotel is no obstacle to bedbugs.

I think not wearing your outdoor shoes in the house is a regional thing. There was a post about this a couple of years ago, and I was one of the people who was very surprised to hear there were Americans who followed this custom.

Jane, that is so true. When I lived in Ohio, I never took my shoes of (unless they were obviously dirty) in the house until I started spending time in Minnesota. And EVERYONE here takes their shoes off whenever they go inside; in their own house and other's. My grandson has special needs with full time nursing care and the nurses take off their shoes. Anyone who comes to the house--even plumbers and construction people take off their shoes. Guests take off their shoes. It's just a thing here. As S J said, I'm sure it's weather related.

I am so enjoying everyone's responses and chatter!

Jane, I think you've hit on something...shoe doffing and regional customs. It may be also that carpet vs hard floor surfaces may make a difference as well. I'd never leave shoes outside when I lived in FL due to spiders/roaches/palmetto bugs but not an issue here in Idaho. SIL leaves her gardening shoes on the back patio all summer.

In August when I was touring in Orkney and Shetland I put a reusable grocery bag down just inside my hotel room to put my shoes on. We were spending every day outside tramping thru grass/fields and other areas where there were massive amounts of sheep poo. I realized the first day I needed to get them off as soon as I got inside. A time or two I took them off at the hotel door and just went upstairs in my socks. Small hotel, no problem with that being inappropriate, lol!!

So...all you dryer sheet people...scented or will unscented do? And Lo...interesting about using them to ward off bees for yourself and your dog!

PS, I travel with dryer sheets in my bags and place new ones in when unpacked. According to a Rutgers study, they don't like those dryer sheets so why not? I always used them anyway.

Do these have to be Downy or any brand? I had read that the Downy dryer sheets kept mice away which I have used them for that purpose and it works. (I don't know why.) Maybe it was just dryer sheets in general? If bed bugs don't like those and I can use the unscented ones, this would be great.

Do you have a link to the study?

ETA: I looked for a study and found this. It turns out that dryer sheets don't work but steam does!
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1251/

I put dryer sheets everywhere.
In our clothing drawers, in the linen cupboard, in the towel cupboard, in my empty suitcases, in my case where I store seasonal clothing.
Bar soap is a good alternative.
Keeps away bugs and moths, and keeps everything fresh.
I also have a small jug with half vinegar and half water on a shelf in the clothing closet to keep it smelling fresh. Closets can get a bit stale when closed up.
It’s got a lid on it with holes in so the smell can get out.
I read this tip somewhere, and it seems to work.
You can’t smell the vinegar!

I never wash luggage or packing cubes unless something is spilled on it which has never happened. I do however put a towel under the wheels on the guest bed which is packing central before a trip.

I never take shoes or sandals off coming into my house unless muddy or wet. I never sleep in shoes, good grief who would do that!?! But I live in Texas, my daughter lives in Alaska and everyone does the shoes off thing there. I take a pair of shoes to leave inside when I visit because going without shoes is uncomfortable on my feet if I spend time cooking etc. Old feet I guess.

I do not wipe our Lab’s paws every time he’s in and out either unless he’s wet or muddy.

Good point about dog feet.

Typically not an issue in the desert. But when we lived on the wet side in WA, I had shallow buckets of water and towels by both doors because the dogs almost always had muddy feet. 🐕

“PS, I travel with dryer sheets in my bags and place new ones in when unpacked. According to a Rutgers study, they don't like those dryer sheets so why not? I always used them anyway.”
I did NOT. Know this! Does it have to be the scented or can they be unscented sheets?

Pam, I don't know... Checked ours, which my husband buys and they probably are scented. I checked quickly Rutgers U, but the research area has a lot of bedbug videos on YouTube. I'm not sure which one had my info... Busy Thanksgiving prep at this time so might see if I can locate after the holiday.

As far as no shoes in the house, we are in that camp, as far back as when I was growing up...and that's getting far. It might be a Swedish thing? Although where I used to live in adultage until a few years ago, there was a large Asian population and they all took their shoes off in the house as well. As an older adult, I now have indoor shoes rather than going barefoot, which I also take with me when visiting those I know take their shoes off or those I don't know if they do. As a working mother I also learned shoes off kept the house a lot cleaner as there were a couple of people who refused...sigh...but were distance family so what could I do?

I knew better than to open this thread….. but I did it anyways. 🤣🤣

Well, does everyone know that, if you have dead bugs welded onto the front of your car, you can use a wet dryer sheet to rub them off? And unscented ones work! (I never use scented ANYTHING if I can help it.)

Janet! You win the internet today!

@ Wray...thanks!

@Janet - Did NOT know that. Where were they when I lived in FL all those years and had those disgusting love-bugs all over the front of the car? I will try the dryer sheets out. In the spring. No bugs right now up here, lol!!

@TexasTravelMom....I hope you took notes too! You will need to send yours thru the car wash with Frank's with all the travel you do, lol!!

Spray with Microban. Of course, wipe away any obvious travel dirt! If available, sit the luggage in the sun.

An aunt was definitely OCD about cleaning.

Growing up, if I had a play-date with my cousin, I learned very early to remove my shoes when entering the house.
We would come in from playing in the yard. Leave shoes at the door because there was no way to wipe them clean enough for my aunt. Come back to the door to return outside. The shoes were gone. They were sitting on the edge of the tub with the soles scrubbed.

Put them on. Go outside.

Come in again and take them off at the door. Come back to the door to return outside. The shoes were gone. They were sitting on the edge of the tub with the soles scrubbed.

Put them on. Go outside.

This went on all afternoon.

She also had hardwood floors in the living room. No one went in there with shoes!

Bedbugs.

Recent conversation with an acquaintance in the hotel business . . .

Hotels have code words for bedbugs.
Like "skittles in room #xxx".

She puts her luggage in the bathroom when she travels.

She also does not stay in hotels frequented by airline personnel. Her opinion was that they carry bedbugs from the plane.

Quien sabe!

I don't normally unless my roller was in a more urban environment. For example I visited NYC earlier in the month & rolling it around the city & subway really grossed me out. To think what might be on it... eww. Plus my current fav bag is still fairly new so I am trying to keep it nice for more than a few months.

Interesting about the dryer sheets. Regardless if it works or not I may try that. Seems like it would be beneficial somehow.

Yes, I do clean my luggage after trips. After the luggage is emptied, I check it for any signs of wear & tear and then give it a light cleaning. I also inspect each of the packing cubes and other gear, clean as necessary and get everything organized for the next trip (ie: replenish 3-1-1 containers, etc.).

@Rabs....I am behind the curve on Microban. Does it leave the surface of your luggage sticky?

@ Khansen....that is hilarious about your aunt! Poor woman must have exhausted herself! Interesting theory about not staying where airline personnel stay. Not sure if I buy her premise but since she works in the hotel industry I'm guessing it has some merit.

Pam-Here is a summary of the bedbug study. This is not the one I watched originally, but the same You Tuber at the research lab. So scented dryer sheets, not perfect, be much better than many alternatives, and easy. This video is very informative. If you are short on time, start at about 14 minutes.

Thanks Wray! I've got it cued up to watch in a bit!

I read the article you cited, Pam, and also watched the video Wray posted. 👀-wow!!

I always wash the wheels of the rolling bag with spray cleaner or a disinfecting wipe. They seem to collect gross gunk, though I try to avoid rolling through it.

Vermont winters mean slushy roads and paths, making the wheels extra gritty when we roll our bags from the airport to the car. Also, any salt spread for de-icing gets on the wheels and could cause the ball bearings to corrode. Our airport’s parking garage is oddly filthy, just from dust blowing in. When the garage floor gets wet, it gets grime all over the wheels. Not to mention tar, candy and gum-all of which have gotten on the wheels. Parking garages being dark, it’s hard to see all the stuff you roll over. So the suitcase doesn’t leave the kitchen until the wheels get cleaned.

When traveling internationally, we use only backpacks- no wheels to clean.

I also clean the suitcase handles with anti-bacterial wipes.

Good idea from several folks about putting the bags in the sun after a trip. Never had bedbugs—yet. 🙄

I like using dryer sheets in my packing cubes, the scent has to be gentle, though, or they don’t make the cut. I also put small sachet bags of lavender in my suitcase and day bag. It’s calming and I like its fragrance.

For bedbugs, we check beds and pillows when arriving at hotels for evidence of bugs/eggs before sitting/lying on, never place luggage on fabric surfaces (lay on counters/wooden surface after examining them), dont sit on or touch other fabric surfaces like chairs unless we examine them first, everything immediately goes in dryer that can upon return, other items that can’t go in dryer inspected in basement laundry room, suitcase goes outside for a long time in sun and/or garage.

If you have been exposed to bedbugs, take your unopened luggage and seal it in a plastic garbage bag while still outside your house and then put it into a deep freezer for at least 72 hours. The freezing temps will kill the bugs and any eggs.