Essential Hygiene Tips for Airplane Bathrooms: A Flight Attendant’s Guide
For many air travelers, using the lavatory on an airplane is an experience to be avoided whenever possible. While airplane toilets are not renowned for their cleanliness, sometimes nature calls, especially on longer journeys.
According to a seasoned flight attendant, there are crucial guidelines to follow when using airplane restrooms, including one element within the bathroom you should “never touch.”
Cierra Mistt, a flight attendant, shared insights on TikTok, offering travel advice considered “essential knowledge” for upcoming trips. Many of her recommendations focused on best practices for utilizing the airplane lavatory.
Mistt pointed out that while airplane toilets might receive a swift tidying between flights, they undergo no cleaning whatsoever during flight. Therefore, if you are not the first passenger to use the facilities, it is unlikely to be sanitary.
Avoid Touching Airplane Toilet Paper
When using an airplane bathroom, hygiene is paramount. However, Mistt advises against using the provided toilet paper. She notes it is often flimsy and tends to disintegrate easily.
In her video, she suggests, “Refrain from using the toilet paper. Opt for paper towels instead. They are of superior quality and will not tear or fall apart like the toilet paper.”
Passengers can also prepare by bringing their own tissues or toilet paper to ensure cleanliness and quality. This eliminates reliance on airplane-provided amenities.
Always Wear Footwear in the Lavatory
Another crucial tip from Mistt involves footwear. Always wear shoes when entering an airplane restroom. Due to turbulence and general movement, floors are often wet with spills that are “not water.” Stepping on these spills in bare feet or socks should be avoided.
She elaborated, “Under no circumstances should you walk barefoot into that bathroom. I can assure you, the liquid on the floor is not water, and you definitely do not want to step in it.”
She further explained the infrequent cleaning schedule: “Typically, the bathroom is only cleaned if it becomes so soiled that we must close it for the remainder of the flight.”
Disinfect Your Seating Area
Mistt mentioned that while cleaning crews service the aircraft between flights, comprehensive deep cleaning of every area is not standard practice. Tray tables and seatbelt buckles are generally wiped down, but most other surfaces are untouched between flights.
Consequently, Mistt recommends utilizing sanitizing wipes, often distributed upon boarding, to cleanse your personal space. For passengers seated by the window, this hygiene practice should extend to disinfecting the window shade.
She advised, “There is a reason we give you wipes as you board. Instead of wiping down the tray table and seat belt, which are superficially cleaned, use the wipe to disinfect the window area you are seated next to. Similar to the bathroom floor, these surfaces rarely receive cleaning.”