Travel Tip#4 - Pick Up After Yourself
February 29th, 2008 by Liz Fuller
I know. I know. You’re traveling. You’re busy. There’s a maid. Why should you have to pick up after yourself?
Well, I’ll tell you why - you’re less likely to leave something behind.
Take a look at your room -
See the jumble of bedcovers? Underneath is the novel you were reading before falling asleep last night.
See the towels on the counter in the bathroom? Underneath is your favorite tube of lipstick.
See the newspapers scattered on the coffee table? Underneath is the powercord to your cell phone.
So, before you check out, do yourself (and the maid) a favor. Straighten the bed, pick up the towels, throw out the newspaper, and pick up any other clutter you see.
You’ll be amazed at what you almost left behind.
I’m actually pretty good at this one considering I’m in a hotel two or three weeks a month - but last December I left a bottle of prescription anti-inflammatory medicine at a hotel in New York. What about you? Have you ever left something in a hotel room??
photo credit: markresch
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
This entry was posted on Friday, February 29th, 2008 at 8:01 am and is filed under travel tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
March 1st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I do actually follow this rule. I used to spend alot of time in hotel rooms and everytime I left one, I would leave something behind. I like to think that everyone thats ever cleaned up after me got a lil souviner of me. The worst thing however, was leaving my nitro pills in a hotel room and then getting on the plane……..cue the dark music. I however made it fine and got the scrip refilled when I got back to NV.
Tommy.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Hi Tommy
That is a scary story - I’m glad it turned out alright - and there’s nothing like an experience like that to make you want to check twice before leaving a hotel!!
Thanks for sharing your story.
Liz
March 25th, 2008 at 1:36 am
In 2004 I went on 30 day road trip, primarily solo, from Seattle I drove south and took a left at Sand Diego down to San Antonio and back. It was wonderful, full of side roads. Lots of tales.
However, in a Vegas hotel on the return trip back home, I lost my trips photo cds. They fell out of a backpack pocket somehow. Never recovered them. It was quite distressing and still makes me slightly sad to this date, I had some great pictures.
May 5th, 2008 at 4:57 am
I ALWAYS seem to leave something in hotel rooms. Next time I travel, I’m going tidy & we’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the advice!
May 13th, 2008 at 11:15 am
great tips. I’ve done several of those before. Now i’m a lot more careful to check for things before i leave a room.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:35 am
I sure wish I had those kinds of skills. I am absolutely horrible at picking things up. Sure enough, something good (and useful) is always lurking underneath. Like the keys. Or my cat. Or my wallet.
Never turns out something invaluable and useless is lost under there
June 16th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Does leaving your cell phone in a pile of clothes on the floor, and putting the clothes in your washer, only to find your cell phone was in that pile of clothes count?
I could use some serious help in this area!
July 9th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I dont want to say anything but here I go… when I worked in a hotel just outside London you could always tell when it was a single woman who had stayed in the room or a single man. As if a woman had stayed everything was everywhere, it was like a bomb had gone off and if it was a man the room was hardly touched apart from the obvious. Always made me laugh!
July 14th, 2008 at 3:07 am
I left my innocence in a Mazatlan hotel room during spring break — does that count?
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 am
Sherri, would you like to share with us your experience?
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Great tip! Cell phone chargers are easy to lose, especially in hotels where the power outlets are hidden away under the desk or behind the chair. You really need to check everywhere, and like you say — under everything!
October 15th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Great advices for traveling. surely it will help others who lost their things while in tips. Thanks a ton.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Again a nice tips
Thanks to you.