Flight attendant Janae shared on the social network “TikTok” that some parents change their babies’ diapers on the tray tables attached to the seats. Later, other passengers place food and personal items on those same surfaces, writes the “New York Post.”
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“People change their children’s diapers on airplane tray tables. That is why, working as a flight attendant, I never eat from them or put my belongings on them,” she said.
Simply wiping may not be enough
If you have to use the tray table, the woman first covers it with a plastic bag. According to her, even a disinfectant wipe may not help if the surface is wiped hastily.
“If I have no other choice, I take a trash bag and cover the entire surface with it. Even when cleaning with disinfectant wipes, the tray table should remain wet for about ten minutes for the agent to work properly,” explained the flight attendant.
Janae admitted she does not understand why parents choose to change diapers exactly where other people will later eat.
“Why would anyone change dirty diapers on a tray table where passengers will place their belongings and food? They simply don’t think about it,” the woman said.
I wouldn’t take them even with gloves, but some passengers get offended because of that.
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According to her, there are also passengers who try to hand dirty diapers directly to flight attendants after changing them: “People come up and hand over dirty diapers. We say, ‘No, at least let us put on gloves first.’ I wouldn’t take them even with gloves, but some passengers get offended because of that.”
In such cases, the flight attendant gives parents a trash bag and asks them to dispose of the diapers themselves.
Dirt can be found in other places too
Janae also pointed out other unpleasant passenger habits. Some try to hand used vomit bags to flight attendants, do not wash their hands after using the toilet, or walk barefoot in the airplane cabin.
Other flight attendants have also talked about the dirtiest places on the plane. Among the surfaces that are rarely cleaned thoroughly but often touched, they mention window shades, overhead luggage bins, seat belts, and carpet.
Many germs can also be found in the airplane toilet, especially on the water tap and door lock. Shanina Knighton, a researcher at the School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in the USA, has previously said that she tries not to use the toilet during the flight, and when she cannot avoid it, she carefully watches which surfaces she touches.
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“I wouldn’t want to start my vacation with a stomach infection,” she said.
