Wearing shorts on a flight may seem like a comfy outfit choice, but it they're the worst thing to wear from a hygiene perspective. That's according to one cabin crew member, who says that passengers sporting the garment before boarding are guaranteed a one way ticket to germ-town.
Of course, it's understandable why people chose to wear them, or a cooler equivalent like a skirt to prepare for their sunnier destination. But flight attendant Tommy Cimato has revealed why they should be avoided at all costs, the Mirror reports.
According to the professional, wearing skin baring clothes puts your body into contact with bacteria that's rife on aircrafts. He said this is especially true for plane windows, where many passengers chose to lean their heads while napping and spread germs.
Taking to TikTok to explain, user @tommycimato said: "Do not fall asleep or lean your head on the window. You are not the only one that has done that and you don't know how many people or children have wiped their hands or other things all over the window.
Explaining why you should never wear shorts, he said: "It's the same thing as the window, you never know how clean it's going to be, so if you have [trousers on], you're going to have less germs."
Like the windows, plane seats are taken up by many different people through multiple journeys, so shorts leaves your skin open to strangers' old skin and hair cells - and invisible bacteria. By wearing long trousers, passengers will avoid direct contact with the seat and will be more protected against germs on the plane, the flight attendant reasons.
The plane expert explained that the bathroom is considered one of the dirtiest spots on the aircraft, and urged holidaymakers to avoid touching the flush button. He said: "Do not ever touch the flush button with your bare hands. It's honestly just super unsanitary and pretty gross, so when you flush, use a napkin or tissue that's in the lavatory."
Tommy went on to offer some more general tips, such as drinking plenty of water before flying so that you stay hydrated and feel fresher when you touch down the other side.
If passengers feel unwell during the flight, he encouraged them to speak to the crew rather than keeping it to themselves. "Don't feel afraid. So if you need food, water or an air sickness bag, please feel free to let us know," the flight attendant added.
American flight attendant recently Jamila Hardwick appeared on the TV programme Inside Edition and revealed that certain parts of the plane are rarely cleaned, including tray tables. She explained: "Oh my gosh, this is disgusting. When cleaners come on they don’t have time to wipe down every individual tray."
A 2019 study by Insurancequotes.com found that a tray table has an average of 11.595 germ colony-forming units, which are best avoided. During Covid, however, airlines put in place a series of strict safety and sanitary measures which included the disinfection of the aircraft before and after a flight.
Passengers are advised to use disinfectant wipes to clean their tray table before a meal, especially after pictures of passengers using the plane's tray tables as footrests have been shared on social media, some of them without shoes or socks.
On Instagram, a user who claimed to be a crew member commented on one of those pictures explaining: “As a flight attendant, I always tell people to take their feet off the table. I say it very nicely. Most comply.
"I say it breaks the table, etc but really I think it's so disgusting and tacky. What are they going to do? Write a letter about me saying she made me take my feet off the table? Never.
"Some flight attendants don't care but I try to keep some kind of civility at work, but it's a tiresome battle."
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