Warning: The Absolute Dirtiest Place On A Plane Is One No One Would Expect
The dirtiest place on an airplane, a report from Travelmath finds, is probably one of the last places you would suspect.
The worst spot for germs, according Travelmath’s research, is the tray table.
“Since this could provide bacteria direct transmission to your mouth, a clear takeaway from this is to eliminate any direct contact your food has with the tray table,” Travelmath’s report states.
Travelmath dispatched a microbiologist to test all sorts of places in airports and airplanes to determine the dirtiest spots of all.
After the tray table, which the microbiologist found had almost 10 times the level of bacteria than any other place on a plane, the hot spots for germs were:
An ex-flight attendant posted on Reddit sharing one potential reason tray tables house so much bacteria:
If you have ever spread your peanuts on your tray and eaten or really just touched your tray at all, you have more than likely ingested baby poo. I saw more dirty diapers laid out on those trays than food.
The Travelmath study’s authors say there’s a reason tray tables are such germy places. Although airline staff quite properly focus their cleaning attention on lavatories, the minimal time available between flights due to short turnaround times means tray tables are often cleaned only at the end of the day, rather than in between flights.
The authors say the results “demonstrate the need for tray tables to be cleaned between flights.”
The study also probed the filthiest places in airports. The dirtiest spots by far are drinking fountain buttons, followed at a distance by bathroom stall locks.
http://www.westernjournalism.com/warning-the-absolute-dirtiest-place-on-a-plane-is-one-no-one-would-expect/