Flying should be cool and glamorous, but more often than not it’s uncomfortable and even icky. You’re sharing an itty bitty space (and bathroom) with hundreds of strangers, and at least one of them isn’t covering their mouths when they cough. You don’t have to be a germaphobe to feel a little unclean on planes. With Ebola in the news and the busy holiday travel season coming up, germ expert Charles P. Gerba, Ph.D., explains the germiest parts of air travel—and how you can deal with them:
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There Are No Cleaning Regulations that Every Airline Must Follow
This news might come as quite as shock (especially considering how seriously regulated everything else related to air travel is), but there are no cleanliness regulations for the airplane. While each individual airline has their own policies related to cleaning the aircraft, there are no overall guidelines that every carrier must follow, says Gerba. “Some might do better than others, but it’s up to the airline.” Uh, yikes?!
The Bathrooms Might Be the Worst
“They are probably the germiest bathrooms you’ll ever use in your life,” says Gerba. It’s the volume alone that make them icky: There are about 50 people per toilet on a plane. “It’s hard to wash your hands in there,” he notes, “and some people avoid doing so for that reason.” That little squirt of water is tough to work with, but it's vital that you wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds while in there, then use a paper towel when opening the door.
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But There Are Other Germy Spots to Avoid
“The surfaces are probably the biggest concern,” says Gerba, like the tray tables, since they may not have time to wash them thoroughly between each flight. Another spot is the handles of the overhead compartments since so many hands are grabbing at them. In fact, one recent study found that disease-causing bacteria often lingers on airplanes for days—even up to a week. So what can you do? Gerba suggests bringing a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer and a pack of sanitizing wipes so you can disinfect your tray table and feel a little safer after touching other surfaces. And be sure to limit the amount of time you touch your face, nose, and mouth while on a plane since that's the most common way that germs are spread.
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