Airborne Germs: A Guide To In-Flight Cleanliness

Millions of people fly around the world every day, meaning that almost all planes will make multiple flights to various destinations. Although every airline has its own cleaning crew, planes need to be turned around quickly for the next flight, so they may miss a spot or two. One of the first things that may cause you to sanitize your hands after touching it is the instructions book as they rarely get wiped down. Another place on the plane is the overhead bins as they are used frequently and are sparsely cleaned, so be wary when unloading your carry-on. The table trays are much worse for germs with a 2015 study illustrating that they carry eight times more germs than anywhere else. Flight attendants have also revealed that seat covers aren’t always cleaned so bringing your own onboard may be a smart move. Lastly and not surprisingly, bathroom handles are covered in germs for obvious reasons so a pocket hand sanitizer is a must.