Flying is a very exciting thing – but it can also be very gross.
Crammed into a metal cabin with hundreds of people is hardly the most hygienic thing to do, and some parts of flying can be even less hygenic than others.
Travel experts at eShores have paired up with two seasoned flight attendants to reveal what parts of the plane are the dirtiest – and how you can best avoid them.
Kamila Jakubjakova, a flight attendant for over three years, says it is wise to avoid the water in planes and instead bring your own bottled water.
While the quality varies between airlines, a Healthline report found microorganisms present in some water on planes, including the total coliform bacteria.
Kamila adds that the water may not be the best, however, it does have to follow certain hygiene standards.
She said: “Bottled water would be my first choice as the water tanks don’t get cleaned often due to time constraints. Although the aircraft water is not the best quality, they still have to follow the hygiene and sanitation standards.”
The other thing you should always bring for yourself is your blanket or travel pillow. Although these little luxuries are usually saved for long haul flights, the experts reveal they are rarely cleaned – just rewrapped for the next passenger.
One flight attendant who preferred to stay anonymous said that even first class isn’t exempt from this gross rule.
They said: “first class mattresses don’t get changed or laundered – a clean sheet is put over it. On short haul flights pillowcases don’t get changed, they’re probably just turned around.”
The third thing to avoid on planes is being barefoot – especially in the bathrooms. While it can be tempting to get as comfortable as possible by kicking your shoes off, you should make sure you have a pair of slip-on shoes ready for bathroom trips.
The anonymous source explains “the toilets are never deep cleaned, just wiped down with an antibacterial wipe and the toilet floors are never cleaned”.
So if you want to avoid tracking all kinds of nasties with you over the flight and back into your shoes, it’s best to keep them on your feet.
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