“What areas of the plane are actually cleaned?”
A flight attendant has gained viral attention for highlighting the “dirtiest” areas of an airplane.
“Some of these might be expected, while others could come as a surprise,” said Cher (@cherdallas).
The first item she mentioned was the window shades, which she claims have “never” been cleaned during her entire career. “Just think about how many people touch those, and they never get wiped down,” she noted. “They’re disgusting.”
She also recounted witnessing numerous instances of people vomiting in the airplane sink. “If you drop something in there, consider it lost,” she advised. Cher stated that she has never seen the sink cleaned and warned that the water contains “too much bacteria,” making it unsafe for drinking or handwashing.
Additionally, Cher, who gained viral fame for sharing things she wouldn’t do as a flight attendant, mentioned that she has only seen the toilet seat cleaned “once” in her career. She further described the airplane carpet as having vomit, bare feet, and actual sewage on it.
More “Filthy” Areas
Cher also highlighted other “filthy” spots, including the overhead bins and the actual seat belt buckle.
“These are precisely the reasons why I will never do my skincare on a plane and why I won’t be touching these dirty surfaces and then applying them to my face and skin,” she stated.
Cher did not respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok or Instagram direct message.
Viewers were taken aback by the video, which has garnered 635,600 views. One commenter remarked, “I miss the person I was before watching this video.” Another inquired, “What parts of the plane are actually cleaned?” A third commenter suggested, “For the price of a ticket, the plane should be cleaned thoroughly daily!”
How Clean Are Airplanes?
A 2015 study supports Cher’s assertions, revealing that airplane bathrooms are not the dirtiest areas on the aircraft, contrary to common belief. In this study, a microbiologist collected samples from four flights to determine the total number of bacteria per square inch.
Unsurprisingly, the flush button in the airline bathroom had 265 colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria per square inch. However, the study revealed that other areas of the airplane were even dirtier. For instance, overhead air vents had 285 CFU per square inch. The most alarming discovery was the level of bacteria on the seatback trays, which were found to contain 2,155 CFU.
