Germ expert reveals the ‘real’ dirtiest part of the plane that can’t be avoided – & it’s not the tray table
WHILE the experience of flying is pretty exciting, planes can be disgusting places – especially if passengers aren’t aware of the germs around them.
It turns out there are several grim surfaces in plane cabins that should either be sanitised more frequently or just avoided altogether.
While a lot of people assume the toilets, or maybe even the tray tables, are the grimiest parts of the plane, there’s one unavoidable spot that could be even dirtier.
Microbiologist, and author of The Germ Code, Jason Tetro views planes as “emergency rooms” in the air.
He told Yahoo Life: “You are surrounded by people you don’t know and their health status is completely unknown.
“And if there hasn’t been a good cleaning and disinfection, you have no idea about the people who were on the plane before you.”
While attempts have been made to discover which part of the plane is the dirtiest, Jason has his own theory.
He added: “But the germiest place of all is the headrest because it is the most exposed and the most touched surface on a plane.”
This is because headrests are rarely deep-cleaned, and they have the greatest exposure to hands and heads.
Other parts of the plane that are likely to be covered in dirt and grime include the seat pocket, the seat belt, the tray table, and the bathroom handle.
In addition to the headrest, there are other unsuspecting areas of the plane passengers should try to avoid.
Flight attendant Josephine Remo revealed that the safety instruction card can be a hotbed of germs.
Last month, she revealed why the safety card should be avoided, if possible.
This is because the instruction sheets rarely get wiped clean by staff.
She told Travel + Leisure: “Once you’re done reading the safety instructions, make sure to put on a little hand sanitiser — or better yet, wipe down the instruction card with a wet wipe to save you and future passengers from any germs.”
Josephine isn’t the only flight attendant who has recently encouraged passengers to clean parts of the plane before getting comfy.
Sun Online Travel’s resident cabin crew member and blogger advised holidaymakers to do a “little cleaning” before sitting down.
They added: “I’ve seen parents using the tray tables to change their kids’ nappies before and it’s never a pretty site, so I’d say you can never clean this area too much.
“We do our best, as do our cleaning crews between flights, but we can’t always be as thorough as we’d like, so it’s best to make sure.
“Either with some sanitiser or a wet wipe, give it a clean and give yourself peace of mind.”
Meanwhile, this video shows how germs spread throughout plane cabins.
And this flight attendant exposed all the dirty parts of a plane cabin.