I think it’s safe to say that most of us enjoy and even look forward to the moment we take our seats on the plane and wait excitedly for the takeoff that will lead us to a new place. In fact, people from all over the world pass through the same airports, share the same planes and wait together for the next takeoff. That's why it was decided that the best places to look at bacteria accumulation and find the dirtiest place were airports and airplanes. A website called Airline Hygiene took the initiative and sent a microbiologist who collected 26 samples from five different airports and four airplanes to discover the dirtiest place according to lab tests. You're going to be surprised by the results...
The least dirty place to our surprise was the bathroom locks in the airport. This finding is particularly surprising because the common belief is that the dirtiest place in any public area is the toilet, and as a result, the lock should be teeming with bacteria. The findings in the study showed that there are 451 bacteria per square centimeter on these locks. Therefore, if the sink is located in the bathroom, we recommend going over your hands once more with a hand sanitizer when you finish.
Seat belt buckles came in fifth when tested. You can admit that when you think of a place full of bacteria, the belt buckle isn’t the first place you think of, but it turns out that the opposite is true. It was found that the average buckle holds 1483 bacteria per square centimeter. While your time spent touching the seat belt isn’t long, it is recommended to disinfect your hands before you touch food.
If you’ve ever thought that the number of bacteria estimated to be found in a bathroom stall is exaggerated, think again. According to the findings, 1709 bacteria were found per square centimeter just on the toilet flusher. Always remember to close the toilet bowl lid before flushing so that fewer bacteria can spread. Second, remember to wash your hands after using the bathroom and try to go over once more with a disinfectant.
The third dirty place on the plane is the air vent in the ceiling above each passenger's head. Rationally thinking, it seems that the air vent should be a clean place due to its function, but it turns out that there are about 1838 bacteria per square centimeter. What’s slightly comforting Is that fact that we don’t usually touch vent openings, but if you are busy with it, of course, we recommend disinfecting your hands before touching your food.
If you arrive at the airport and your mouth is a bit dry, you can probably relieve your thirst at the nearby fountain. But it is important to remember to wash your hands after use since the button presents no less than 7999 bacteria per square centimeter. Don’t let this information discourage you from drinking the water, just make sure to wash your hands afterward.
The number one dirtiest place on the plane was found to be the tray. It certainly isn’t pleasant to hear that about 12,903 microbes per square centimeter were found on the where we eat and sometimes rest our heads. The good news is that now that you know how dirty the tray is, you can clean the area before use and wash your hands before eating. Just don’t forget to fold the tray while taking off and landing.
