This is the dirtiest spot on an airplane (and it’s not what you think!)

This is the dirtiest spot on an airplane (and it’s not what you think!)

TORONTO — A new study from Travel Math about the dirtiest places on an airplane will have you reaching for that bottle of hand sanitizer in no time.

According to Southern Living, the study took swabs from four different flights and sent them to a lab to be tested. The results, which are an average from those four flights, may surprise you.

Shockingly, the most germ-infested spot on an airplane is where you’d place your food. That’s right, the tray table is absolutely ridden with germs! It tested for 2,155 colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria per square inch. To put this into perspective, coming in as the #2 dirtiest spot is the overhead air vent with a paltry 285 CFU per square inch.

The flush button in the lavatory – which many would assume would be the filthiest – actually came in at #3 with 265 CFU per square inch, followed by the seatbelt bucket with 230 CFU per square inch.

The study also examined airports, and found that the push button on water fountains were cesspools of bacteria, with $1,240 CFU per square inch.

So next time you board an airplane, it may be wise to bring your own tablecloth. And don’t forget your hand sanitizer!

Travel Week Logo






Get travel news right to your inbox!