The Unexpected Safety Purpose A Lint Roller Can Serve In Your Hotel Room
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Safety while traveling is always a concern — especially if you're a woman going it alone. It's crucial to follow precautions when selecting a home base, like using this genius Airbnb booking tip (that also works for hotels), or while you're out on the town, like wearing the right colors as a solo traveler. However, there is more you can do once you're in for the evening. There is a humble little item you've probably packed anyway that can help keep your room secure: the simple lint roller. In fact, it may be the most inexpensive thing you can buy to protect yourself, with lint rollers costing less than $1 each at Ikea.
It's an easy trick: Once you're in the room, stick the lint roller under the door. The friction between the sticky surface and the carpet or floor will make the door harder to open. It's also more likely that you'll hear it moving in time to call for help. In the morning, you can pull off the sheet that touched the floor and use the next one to remove lint from your clothing. If you don't have a lint roller, your hotel gift shop might, or you could get one from a store in the airport.
Other ways to prevent intruders to your hotel room
While door barriers can give you time to alert authorities, there are other protective measures you can take as well. First, it's always a good idea to cover the peephole in the door to prevent someone from seeing whether you're in the room or not. You can use a band-aid, tissue, tape, or even a small bit of moisturizer or Vaseline, which you likely have in your toiletry bag. (Just wipe it off when you leave.)
Locking all the locks should go without saying, but you can also put a hanger on the doorknob, so you hear it moving if the door opens. If there is a U-lock or chain lock in addition to the deadbolt, you can put one hanger on the lock or bolt, then hook another hanger through that and around the doorknob.
@heather_in_florida An easy way to stay secure in your hotel room 🔒 #traveltips #travelsafety #hotelsafety #hotelsafetytips #wishyouwerehere #letscruisetravel #travel #happy #fun #life #letsgo #travelgram #instagood #photooftheday #traveltheworld #travelmore #doyoutravel #wanderlust #explore #wheretonext #bookmytrip #vacation #letscruise
Another inexpensive item to use under the door is the simple doorstop, which you can get for around $5 for two on Amazon. Some even come with alarms, which are two for $10 on Amazon. You can loop a washcloth through a U-lock before securing it to keep the gap in the door to a minimum so no one can reach in. Finally, place the "do not disturb" sign on the door when you're out and the TV on at a low volume so it seems like someone is there.