WASHING your hands on a plane might sound like a smart hygiene move, but experts say it could leave you dirtier.
The warning comes from flight attendants and health researchers who say the water in airplane bathrooms is not as clean as some people might think.
Most airplane water tanks aren’t cleaned often, and bacteria can easily spread, especially mid-air.
A 2017 study published in the Annals of Microbiology found more than 50 different strains of bacteria in ice samples used on planes.
“A consistent percentage of the microorganisms identified from ice are known agents of human infections,”; researchers wrote.
“My takeaway from doing the research was to not drink the coffee and the tea. At all,”; Charles Platkin, who led the study, told Travel + Leisure.
“I don’t wash my hands either. I have wipes that I use,”; Platkin said.
Even if toilets are cleaned regularly, “the locks and door handles are not,”; warned flight attendant and travel blogger Josephine Remo.
Shanina Knighton, a research associate professor at Case Western Reserve University, said she avoids the airplane bathroom when she can.
“I’m mindful of surfaces, especially the latch on the bathroom door, which everyone uses to open the door, even if they haven’t washed their hands,”; she said.
Contaminated airplane water can “wreck your vacation before you even arrive,”; Knighton said.
“I wouldn’t want to start a vacation with a stomach bug because of unsafe water exposure,”; she added.
Instead of using the tap, Remo suggests using hand sanitizer after touching luggage, tray tables, or anything in the seat pocket.
She added that passengers should wash their hands properly once they land.
A former flight attendant speaking to Sanctuary Bathrooms described the loo as “essentially a cupboard, with no clean air.”;
“There is no window and the air ventilation is poor,”; she said.
“You could also be breathing in potential faeces particles, circulating the air after a toilet flush,”; said Knighton.
She also warned against brushing your teeth onboard, since the water is often unfiltered and comes from the same tanks.
“Use bottled water but my main piece of advice would be, do not take your toothbrush or wash bag anywhere near an airplane loo,”; she said.
Passengers were urged to hover over the seat instead of sitting on it and, in general, to keep their shoes on while on the plane.
KEEP SHOES AND STOCKINGS ON
“Due to the high chance of unbalance and people missing the toilet bowl, there could be urine on the floor,”; Knighton said.
“If you carried this from your sock into your shoe and back into your home – that would be incredibly unhygienic.”;
She also urged travelers to shower as soon as they land.
Knighton said she always used to hop in the shower immediately after returning home from work.
“As soon as you arrive at your destination, put your clothes in the wash and have a good scrub,”; she said.
“I always used to shower straight after work and sometimes the water would turn brown.”;
