Spring break is right around the corner, and that means a spike in air travel all across the country--a potentially problematic situation if you are concerned about germs and the cleanliness of air terminals and cabins.
Airports--A Germaphobe's Worst Nightmare
Picture it.
A mass of humanity hurrying their way from departure to destination points, bustled along through large terminals past an array of shops, restaurants, and restrooms.
Each, in turn, has touched numerous terminal screens, their cell phone, vending machines, elevator buttons, rails on people mover systems, grabbed a bite to eat, and used the restroom.
The painful and horrifying truth is that many of your fellow travelers have not maintained an ideal level of hand sanitation, and the consequences have long since spread far and wide.
Combined with other socially unappealing behavior, such as leaving dirty diapers on cabin dining trays, the probability that you will come into contact with dangerous germs and bacteria is absolute to the point of near certainty.
According to a recent article published by LifeHacker;
Tray tables were by far the most bacteria-ridden spots on a plane, with over 2,000 colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria per square inch (by comparison, your cell phone has about 27 CFUs per square inch).
If that’s not enough to convince you, one flight attendant told the Huffington Post that tray tables are usually only cleaned once a day, when the aircraft “RONs” (remains overnight).
I saw more dirty diapers laid out on those trays than food.
And those trays, yeah, never saw them cleaned or sanitized once.
The Germiest Spots on Planes and in Terminals
Several tests have recently been conducted to determine the level of cleanliness and sanitation on commonly used high-contact surfaces inside of airport terminals and airplane cabins.
To understand these results, it is essential to have a clear frame of reference.
Each sample is measured in colony forming units (CFUs) of bacteria (not always harmful to humans) per square inch.
The germiest items in a typical household are:
- Money - 5 CFUs / sq. in.
- Cell phones - 27 CFUs / sq. in.
- Toilet seats - 172 CFUs / sq. in.
- Countertops - 361 CFUs / sq. in.
- Pet toys - 19,000 CFUs / sq. in., and;
- Pet bowls (food and water) - 306,000 CFUs / sq. in.
Onboard airplanes, inside the cabin looked more like this:
- Seatbelt buckle - 230 CFUs / sq. in.
- Toilet flush button - 265 CFUs / sq. in.
- Overhead air vent - 285 CFUs / sq. in., and;
- Tray tables - 2,155 CFUs / sq. in.
Making every high-contact surface within the average airplane cabin filthier than your toilet seat at home.
Inside the terminal was worse.
Much worse.
- Drinking fountain buttons - 19,181 CFUs / sq. in.
- Gate bench/seat armrest - 21,630 CFUs / sq. in.
- The self-check-in terminal screen - 253,857 CFUs / sq. in., or slightly less than your dog's food bowl.
How is this possible?
- Poor hand hygiene, and;
- Insufficient cleaning services.
Stay Healthy Flying
The sanitation challenges facing airports around the world are far-reaching and unlikely to be addressed anytime soon.
So, how does the average person stay safe?
According to TravelMath.com;
Airports and airplanes are dirtier than your home.
Surprisingly, it is the one surface that our food rests on – the tray table – that was the dirtiest of all the locations and surfaces tested.
Since this could provide bacteria direct transmission to your mouth, a clear takeaway from this is to eliminate any direct contact your food has with the tray table.
It’s also advisable to bring hand sanitizer for any other dirty surface you may touch along your journey.
Additional recommendations include:
- Washing your hands after using the restroom and before eating.
- Avoiding hand to face or mouth contact.
- Bringing your own pillow and blanket onboard, and;
- Booking early flights to avoid the contamination brought in by the mass of later travelers.
References & Resources
- Stop Using Blankets and Pillows on the Plane
- The Self Check-in Screen is the Most Germ-Infested Part of the Airport
Takeaway
The issues facing airport facilities managers and custodial teams have no easy solutions, due in large part to the mass of bodies from all over the world that pass through their terminal and airport every day.
Assigning full time in-house staff is likely cost-prohibitive.
A superior alternative is to outsource the general custodial duties to a contracted cleaning provider to free up more experienced staff for specialized and emergency cleaning needs, especially in cabins between flights.
If you would like to learn more about the advantages of outsourcing your terminal and cabin cleaning services to an experienced vendor who specializes in green cleaning products and services, or if you would like to schedule an onsite evaluation of your organization's needs--contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
