The most hygienic way of peeing on a plane

As the holidays approach quickly, many people are preparing to fly – some for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The risk of exposure to COVID during air travel is considered relatively low, thanks to the requirements for masks, HEPA filtration system, improved sanitation and the fact that passengers are facing in the same direction and prefer to sit still rather than scream or sing.

Still, the idea of ​​spending hours in a metal pipe with dozens – if not hundreds – of strangers may understandably not seem super appealing. If you are forced to share a small number of small bathrooms with them, it is even less.

Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the spread of germs to the toilet. Below, health and travel experts break down the most hygienic way to use a bathroom on an airplane.

“As an infection prevention specialist and someone who travels a lot, I have a routine when I fly,” he said. Michelle Barron, senior medical director for infection prevention and control at UCHealth, Colorado. “When I sit down in my seat, I wipe the armrests, the tray table, and anything anyone might have touched with a disinfectant wipe. Then I clean my hands with hand sanitizer. The same routine applies to the bathroom. “

Barron advised using disinfectant wipes on all toilet door handles, lids and sinks before touching them.

Philip M. Tierno, a professor of microbiology and pathology at Grossman University School of Medicine in New York City, noted that although skin is a natural barrier to microbes, he suggests traveling with a small tube of disinfectant spray for spaces such as the bathroom on the plane.

“I would use Lysol spray on the seat before I sat on it,” Tierno said, then waited about a minute and wiped it with a paper towel or face towel. “The friction caused by the rubbing process during wiping helps remove most of the debris and many microbes.”

Make sure you have a barrier between your bare hands and any surfaces you need to touch.

“The toilet probably contains more microbes and is used by more people,” Barron said. “That’s why it’s important to limit contact with surfaces and use a disposable object such as a paper towel to touch door handles, toilet lids or handles, sinks, etc.”

Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University, advised placing handkerchiefs or paper seat covers on the toilet bowl, if available. When you’re done, throw them away.

“It helps maintain hygiene and saves others from following many problems,” Khubchandani said. “When you leave the toilet, open the door with paper towels or handkerchiefs. Put these paper towels in the trash. ”

“My biggest intrusion into the bathroom by plane is the use of airplane wipes instead of toilet paper,” he said. Brenda Orelus, stewardess and founder Krew Konnect.

Earlier this year, Orelus posted this hack in the bathroom Instagram reel in which she explained that toilet paper is generally more exposed to liquids because it is usually located at a lower level.

“Paper paper is usually located at eye level on commercial aircraft,” Orelus told HuffPost. “It significantly increases the likelihood that any liquid he sprays is really just water.”

We know that infectious microbes can spread through “toilet bouquets” – the dispersal of particles formed when flushing a toilet. These toilet aerosols can be disease carriers, including COVID-19.

There is an easy way to help combat this.

“You can close the toilet lid before flushing to prevent the spread of germs into the air during the flush cycle,” Barron said.

“Over the years, I’ve noticed that people – often children – walk barefoot towards the bathroom or into the bathroom,” Khubchandani said. “It’s a very unhygienic tendency with the possibility of infection if someone has skin cuts and injuries to their leg. You also stay on the skin from the toilet all year round, unless you wash your feet, which doesn’t happen much. ”

He also suggested folding the edges at the bottom if you wear tracksuits or other long, loose-fitting clothing to prevent urine droplets, pieces of tissue, or other debris from getting on your clothing.

“Everything from the waist down is in an area where turbulence can lead to a bad target,” Orelus said. “So no, it’s unlikely that the liquid on the ground is water.”

Thorough and frequent hand washing with soap and water is an important way to prevent the spread of germs. However, studies show water for the aircraft toilet can be of rather poor quality.

“The water tank in the bathroom tank can be heavily contaminated,” Tierno said. “As such, I would use a 62 percent alcohol gel to disinfect my hands instead of using water from the sink in the bathroom.”

Avoid touching your face or mouth in the bathroom before cleaning your hands. The same goes for the other steps of your trip.

“I also recommend keeping a hand sanitizer nearby to use before and after eating or touching your face,” Tierno said.

“When you go to the toilet, be wary of others who may follow you,” Khubchandani said. “Often we don’t think about it or assume someone else will clean it. It’s disrespectful to other passengers and stewardesses if they have to clean up for us. So, rinse each other, throw the trash in the trash, wipe the sink, and clean the toilet bowl if pieces of handkerchief or urine spread around.

He also advised using a second toilet and notifying the flight attendant if you enter the bathroom and find that previous passengers have left a huge mess.

In addition to the small steps you can take during your time in the bathroom, you can promote health and hygiene during your air travel by following the instructions of experts: wear a mask properly, don’t fly if you feel unwell, and make sure you keep up to date on your immunizations .

“Of course now we all wear masks on planes, which helps make everyone safer, but the most important thing I recommend to everyone is to get vaccines against COVID-19 and the flu,” Barron said. “We are expecting a more severe flu season this year, so get vaccinated against the flu now. I also recommend a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine if you encounter it CDC criteria. ”