The airplane and airplane seat is a public space, and we know that germs can live on surfaces for a long time, so it doesn’t hurt to clean it.
Here are some tips for cleaning your area of a plane and keeping healthy on a flight.
1. Keep your hands clean and stop touching your face
Wiping down surfaces on a plane won’t hurt, as long as it doesn’t give you a false sense of security, sanitizing your space on a plane should be done in conjunction with washing hands and following other best practices.
Viral particles, the transmission vehicle of the coronavirus, must travel within mucus or saliva, and they must enter through eyes, nose or mouth. While the coronavirus can last on surfaces like tray tables, touch screens, door handles and faucets — one study found that other coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS stay on metal, glass and plastic for up to nine days — a disinfectant on a hard surface, or soap while washing your hands, will kill the virus.
So first things first: Wash your hands.
2. Choose a window seat
Book a window seat, try not to move during the flight, stay hydrated and keep your hands away from your face. Be vigilant about your hand hygiene.
3. Disinfect hard surfaces
When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down too. Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them. It’s not bad to wipe down the area around you, but it’s worth remembering that the coronavirus is not going to jump off the seat and get into your mouth. People should be more careful of touching something dirty then putting their hands on their faces.
Someone who has been sick and coughing might have touched the door and the faucet, so use wipes in the bathroom then use paper towels to open the door and to close the faucet then throw those in the trash on the way out.
Consider about your hygiene even if you are in or out.
