As passengers board their flights for summer holidays, a flight attendant has shared the ‘filthiest parts’ of a plane that you should avoid touching – and it’s more places than you might expect
A flight attendant has shared important advice to passengers wanting to wash their hands on a plane, suggesting it could introduce more germs than it removes. Cher, a seasoned flight attendant with five years under her belt, took to social media to expose the “filthiest parts” of an aircraft as holidaymakers begin boarding flights for their much-deserved summer breaks.
Known as @cherdallas on TikTok, the cabin crew member revealed: “I’ve seen people vomit inside the bathroom sinks numerous times so if you drop sometimes in there, I would consider it a loss. Never ever have I seen the sinks get cleaned out. The sink water that you wash your hands with is also filthy. You’re not allowed to drink it because it has too much bacteria in it so washing your hands with it is probably not great.
“I don’t know what’s in it but it constantly degrades my nails and makes them extremely brittle whether I have paint on them, gel or dip, it completely degrades the outside of it.”
She also claimed she has never witnessed anyone clean the window shades and has only once seen anyone clean the toilet seat.
She advises passengers to always keep their shoes on as the plane carpet is riddled with germs and doesn’t receive the care it needs between flights.
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In her post, she warned: “Sorry in advance if this grosses you out the next time you fly but everyone should have the facts.”
Reacting to her post, one user admitted: “I just realised that no matter how much I sanitise and clean everything around me on a plane, it’s still awful.”
Another user chimed in: “I mean, if they wouldn’t clean the sink and toilet seats when landing in a destination I am quite sure you couldn’t even use them anymore. Normally when landing cleaners come to clean them – flight attendant.”
A third user commented: “Seat pockets are filthy too. I’ve seen the cleaning crew wipe stuff down real quick, but in general airplanes are dirty. I was sick for months when I first started as a flight attendant, no wonder.”
Another user remarked: “One of the reasons I take Dramamine so I can sleep throughout the flight. Also no to skincare on flights! You just need a face oil if your skin feels dry and SPF.”
Yet another user added: “I carry alcohol wipes and clean all surfaces around me. I also carry hand sanitiser and rub it before eating or rubbing my face.”
A final user concluded: “As a former airline pilot, I won’t wash my hands in lav. Hand sanitiser from my bag and then wash we land in the airport.”