We've written a lot in the past about the parts of airplanes that are brimming with bacteria. But let's face it, you probably weren't surprised that the toilets and tray tables were up there with the filthiest parts of planes.
The water tanks on the plane? Now THAT might have put you off ever ordering a tap water on a flight ever again, but this next revelation will tempt you to wear gloves, or at least bring anti-bac with you, on your next holiday.
In 2015, TravelMath tested different parts of a plane for bacteria levels, discovering that, aside from the tray table and toilet, there were two pretty surprising places we could be picking up germs.
You know how planes, for some reason, are ridiculously cold when you take off? Well, you might want to think twice before touching the dial to change the air flow because this spot was found to have more bacteria than even on the toilet flush button. Ew.
The other spots that fair pretty poorly on the cleanliness front are the plane seat buckles. The study found that these items, often touched by passengers, were brimming with bad bacteria, too.
Gloves it is then!
Jess Edwards is Cosmopolitan UK’s Deputy Editor, working to deliver the very best experiences across the brand's platforms (print, social, video, digital), products and events, including a focus on our membership offering, Club Cosmo. Jess has worked in the media industry for almost 20 years and at Cosmopolitan for over 10 years, joining the brand as Fashion Editor and later going on to lead the digital team as Site Editor. With her background in lifestyle journalism, it is no surprise that you’re most likely to find her in the Fashion section and exploring the very best in hospitality via our Travel pages.
