You're going to want to snag this freebie the next time you travel
Some of my favorite things to pick up while traveling are hotel amenities. I love seeing which hotels stock which items, and from which brands. (Anyone who automatically gives mouthwash and floss is good in my book!) One of the freebies I never leave behind might be surprising, as it’s an often-overlooked item—but it’s one that everyone should slip into their suitcase.
Intrigued? This humble hotel-room staple has six genius alternative uses, and we’ve got the details ahead. Read on to find out what the item is and how you can put it to use in all kinds of clever and interesting ways.
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So which hotel amenity is worth tossing into your suitcase?
Believe it or not, it’s the shower cap! No, shower caps aren’t as glamorous as the hotel shampoo and conditioner or free coffee pods, but they’re a handy thing to have around the house, and not just for protecting your hair.
How can you use a hotel shower cap—outside the shower?
A hotel shower cap can replace a host of more expensive items in a pinch. Here are six great things you can do with it outside the shower:
Proof dough
Melissa Fallon, the recipe developer and baking blogger behind the website Design Eat Repeat, says that shower caps are ideal for proofing because they fit more snugly to a bowl than plastic wrap. And they allow space for the dough to expand as it releases gas, thanks to the domed top.
“A warm, moist environment is needed for bread to rise, and shower caps can help lock that in,” she says. “You’re essentially creating a humid little greenhouse.”
For best results, she says to make sure that your bowl is large enough to give the dough room to rise without touching the cap but small enough that the cap isn’t stretched so thin that it rips. “Most plastic shower caps are not food-grade, so they shouldn’t directly touch the food,” she says.
But if you’re not concerned about the plastic, she says you can spray the inside of the cap with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking. Fallon says the best part is that they’re reusable—just wash and dry to use again.
Cover your shoes
Most people know not to put suitcases on hotel beds because the wheels drag in bacteria and dirt from outside, but people often forget to protect their clothes from dirty shoes inside their suitcase. A study in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that there are millions of particles of bacteria, including fecal matter, on the bottoms of our shoes. Seal them up in a shower cap when traveling to keep your clothes free from dirt and potential contamination.
Shower caps are also handy for keeping a stash at home near the door for visitors to cover their shoes. Service technicians often bring their own booties, but you never know when hotel shower caps might come in handy for other guests!
Keep things dry
If you’re coming back from a beach or pool day and don’t have enough time to fully dry your bathing suit before departing, a plastic hotel shower cap can save the day. Roll your wet swimsuit up in the shower cap’s sturdy, impermeable plastic to keep water from leaking out everywhere and getting other items damp. Just remember to dry the cap once you are home, or you could risk bacteria and mold growth.
Use for crafts
Any parent with small children can tell you that while crafts are fun and educational, they can be a total mess. Make cleanup easy by using shower caps to line paint bowls or to squirt glue out for use. This trick also works to line a paint tray—and saves you from having to toss trays when the kiddos are done.
Cover leftovers
We all love leftovers, but they can go bad quickly if improperly covered. When exposed to air, they can develop bacterial growth and mold, and who wants dried-out food? Prevent that from happening by placing a shower cap over that leftover bowl of pasta or veggies. It provides a much better seal than aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and it’s reusable.
If sealed tightly, leftovers can last about three days, although you should toss them if you see any signs of mold, regardless of how long it’s been.
Keep herbs fresh
A shower cap can keep your refrigerated herbs fresher for longer, according to food scientist, cookbook author and television personality Alton Brown. He recommends washing and drying the herbs well, then leaving them in a container “bouquet style” with about an inch of water. Placing a shower cap over them keeps ethylene gas from fruits and veggies out, and it protects the herbs from the harsh, dry cold by creating a nice little greenhouse effect.
Which other hotel freebies are worth taking home?
We all love snagging the tiny bottles of shampoo for our next travel adventure, but you don’t have to use hotel freebies as intended. Beyond shower caps, other hotel amenities can be used in clever ways too.
For example, keep a hotel shampoo on hand and use a tiny bit as a makeup brush cleaner, or take home free toothbrushes to detail jewelry, grout or anything else that requires scrubbing. You can even bring home hotel cotton pads and cotton swabs to store in your car and use to detail hard-to-reach and dusty compartments. With a little creativity, the sky’s the limit!
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Melissa Fallon, recipe developer and baking blogger at Design Eat Repeat; interviewed October 2025
- Journal of Applied Microbiology: “Shoe soles as a potential vector for pathogen transmission: a systematic review”
- Alton Brown on TikTok: “Protecting your herbal investments”
