Experts poo-poo the airplane loo.
Flying might feel high-tech — but beneath the surface, it could get pretty gross.
In actual fact, some experts warn that the water on board airplanes is so questionable, they wouldn’t even wash their hands with it.
While tray tables and overhead bins are known germ zones, it’s the airplane bathroom that deserves essentially the most caution.
“The toilets are repeatedly cleaned, however the locks and door handles should not,” Josephine Remo, a flight attendant and travel blogger, told Travel and Leisure.
Much more concerning: studies show onboard water tanks may harbor harmful bacteria. A 2017 study within the Annals of Microbiology found over 50 strains of bacteria in ice used on planes.
“My takeaway from doing the research was to not drink the coffee and the tea. In any respect,” Charles Platkin, the creator of the study and the chief director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, told Travel and Leisure.
He also echoed his team’s findings, saying that he avoids washing his hands with water as well. He uses hand wipes as a substitute.
A former flight attendant also revealed to The Sun that the bathrooms onboard don’t have great ventilation.
“The airplane loo is actually a cabinet, with no clean air. There isn’t a window, and the air ventilation is poor,” the unnamed attendant said.
“Which means that each time you go to the john, not only are you respiration within the air of many others who’ve ‘done their business’ before you (especially if it’s a long-haul flight), but you would even be respiration in potential feces particles, circulating [in] the air after a rest room flush.”
They recommend wearing a mask when entering the lavatory — or avoiding it altogether, if possible.
If it is advisable to brush your teeth through the flight, it’s best to make use of bottled water, because the expert warns that the water is unfiltered and never in one of the best condition.
Experts suggest packing hand sanitizer, using disinfectant wipes and being mindful of toilet surfaces.
“I attempt to avoid the restroom if possible,” Shanina Knighton, a research associate professor on the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, told Travel and Leisure, “but when I need to go, I’m careful about what I touch.
“I wouldn’t want to begin a vacation with a stomach bug due to unsafe water exposure,” Knighton said.
