5 Germiest Things You Will Encounter On Airplanes

If you are anything like me and are always on the lookout of clean places because you would rather bring your own bottle than drink from the public water fountain because of germs, then you would know that traveling exposes you to so many germy things.

Today, let’s talk about what are the germiest things we come across when we fly.

1. Airplane Bathrooms

Bathrooms being the germiest won’t come as a surprise to you. The space in airplane lavatories is so small that flushing the toilet sprays bacteria onto almost every surface in the bathroom, including the sink. Yuck, I know!

Take care to wipe down the surface with toilet paper or paper towels before you do your business. Many people don’t dry their hands – or worse, don’t wash their hands after using their toilet – and touch the door handle and other surfaces with wet germy hands. So, make sure to wash your hands and then use a paper towel to open the bathroom door. Use hand sanitizer as soon as you get back to your seat.

2. Airplane Tray Tables

The airplane tray tables get used for a lot of other things than the intended use of eating. Quick flight turnovers mean that the tray tables won’t be sanitized each time, they might be wiped sure, but won’t be properly sanitized.

Always remember to wipe your tray table with a sanitizing wipe before using it. You don’t want to be eating off food from the table and them remember what could the tables have been used for previously. Dirty tissues or barf-bags could have graced the surface you are eating food off od, or it could have been a temporary diaper-changing station… ugh!

3. Airplane Seat Pockets

Like the tray table, the seat pockets are harassed every journey. Many people use the seat packets as their personal dustbin and shove anything and everything in them. 

Used tissues, food wrappers, peels, even dirty diapers have been stowed away and left in the seat pockets by flyers. I can be sure that the seat pockets aren’t deep-cleaned between flights. Just avoid the risk and don’t store anything in there.

4. Airplane Pillows and Blankets

Airplane providing you with pillows and blankets means that you don’t have to carry extra weight. That’s good, right? Not exactly. Pillows and blankets generally don’t get cleaned between shorter flights.

Unless your pillows and blankets come sealed in plastic, it is better to use your own. You wouldn’t want to have a blanket that was used as a makeshift tissue by someone over you. Bringing your own in less of a hassle than the risk of being exposed to germs that the previous flyer left.

5. Touch-Screen Ticket Kiosks

This isn’t exactly present in your airplane, but it is in the airport, so goes with the theme. Self-serve touch-screen kiosks are great time-savers for checking in and printing boarding passes at airports, which is why they are getting more popular and common. 

Because so many people keep touching these kiosks, they are covered in germs. I don’t have to tell you that not everyone is mindful of hygiene so wash your hands or use sanitizer after touching the screens.

Final Thoughts

These germs aren’t going away anytime soon, neither are people going to be completely hygienic. It is better to be cautionary and carry some things that will make our lives easier, cleaner, and safer. Sanitizer and wipes are the most basic things that you should carry, even if you carry nothing else to help fight germs.