Airlines have always been known to be a hotbed of germs given the sheer number of people (and animals) who fly each day.
But one would think the airlines “extra safety measures” to keep things “safe” during COVID-19 would finally make planes a sanitary place, right?
Ha! Guess again. As many flight attendants have pointed out, there are several areas that never get cleaned and you definitely don’t want to touch.
You may already know not to use airline blankets or pillows – but there are other gross areas you might not think about.
Check out the worst of the worst areas on an airplane that you’ll definitely want to clean before you touch.
Tray Table
Ah yes, the tray table is probably used by nearly every passenger who flies.
Many use it to host their laptop and crank out some business work. Others use it as a place to rest their head and take a nap.
Less common now, but travelers often rely on their tray table to place their unidentifiable airplane “meal” or depend on it as a place to rest their drink.
And then there are those moms (bless their hearts) who think the tray table is the perfect place to change their baby’s dirty diaper!
Even more horrific, flight attendants admit many moms take the dirty diaper and then stuff it in the seat pocket! GROSS!!
Look we get it, flying with babies is tough. But there is a restroom on the plane.
So consider yourself warned, before you use your tray table – sanitize the heck out of it!
Seat Pockets
Dirty diapers aside, think about all the other nasty things people place in seat pockets.
Used tissues.
Dirty napkins.
And a host of other random things they’re tossing in to clean out their purse or pockets.
Do you really think the cleaning crew sanitizes each pocket in between flight?
Not even close.
And before you pick up that safety card, remember all the hands that have touched it before you…
So just plan to keep your hands (and belongings) out of the seat pockets altogether.
Surface Points
Airlines are in a hurry to deboard planes and get the next passengers on as quickly as possible.
So they’ll pick up the obvious pretzel crumbs (maybe) and water bottles off the floor.
And if you’re lucky…
… they might quickly wipe down the actual seat.
But think about all the other contact areas people touch during a flight.
Seatbelt buckles. Armrests. Air control vent.
None of these are getting sanitized.
Be sure to bring your own sanitizing wipes and give ‘em a quick wipe before you use them.
Truly – all kinds of people in this world fly… and you’d be amazed at people’s lack of cleanliness and basic hygiene.
After all, there are still people who are okay with walking barefoot on a plane.
Be Smart
No, we aren’t saying wear a hazmat suit and enter the plane with a spray hose to clean everything before you sit down.
There’s no need to freak out – but be smart.
Get it in your head, airlines DO NOT properly clean the aircraft in between passengers.
Love it. Hate it. Deny it. But it’s the truth.
But by bringing your own hand sanitizer and travel sized disinfectant wipes – you can at least be somewhat confident your area is clean for you to sit.
And when you go to place your drink on the table tray – you’ll at least know it’s sanitized properly and not lingering with the contents of a dirty diaper.
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