Flight attendant reveals the health and hygiene mistakes to avoid on board a plane

A flight attendant has shared her tips for maintaining hygiene during a flight. Photo / 123rf

A US woman has shared the flight hygiene tips she’s learned since becoming a flight attendant.

Destanie, who shares TikTok videos about her experience as a flight attendant, revealed in a now-viral clip just how dirty planes can be - and what you can do to maintain your hygiene on board.

“Here are things I would never do since becoming a flight attendant,” she declared.

Be aware that the plane bathroom probably isn't the cleanest. Photo / 123rf

Don’t: walk around the plane without shoes on

It might be common sense to frequent flyers - but Destanie reminded viewers that they shouldn’t walk around in their socks as plane floors are generally dirty.

“I’ve always known that airplane floors were gross but I thought if you had like a nice pair of thick socks it would be fine to take off your shoes in the airplane. But it’s not,” she said.

She explained that planes are often given a surface clean between flights - so the carpets could be harbouring all kinds of fluids.

In addition, the bathroom floors are likely to get a quick wipe down between flights rather than a deep clean.

“A lot of the time I walk into the bathroom and there’s literally, like, pee on the floor ... so just beware. I literally wash my hands like every 20 minutes or so,” she continued, adding that she’d had “nasty illnesses, sinus infections and styes” thanks to unclean surfaces.

Do: Pack sanitising wipes for your flight

When packing for your flight, include some sanitising wipes in your carry-on so you can easily wipe down surfaces like your tray table and window.

“A lot of the time we don’t have the wipes, so bring your own wipes and stuff like that, and wipe down your tray tables,” Destanie suggested.

And while this depends on the airline you’re travelling with, she claimed that staff often don’t clean the tray tables after each flight.

There's no need to add extra salt to your in-flight meal. Photo / 123rf

Don’t: Salt your food

Destanie explained that there’s no need to add salt to your in-flight meal as they’re usually already high in salt.

“Your taste buds change in the air so there’s a lot of added sodium to the food that they serve in the airplane,” she pointed out.

“Everything has a lot of sodium in the airplane.”

Do: Eat before your flight

Destanie explained that she usually eats before flying or brings her own food on board as “you can’t depend on [some] flights to have food, and even if they do have food a lot of the time the options aren’t that good”.

She added that she often brings instant noodles in her bag as hot water is always available on board.

You can bring food items in your carry-on luggage - just remember to check they meet international restrictions for liquids and you’ll need to either finish it on board or throw away leftovers before going through customs when you arrive.

It's important to avoid sun damage while flying. Photo / 123rf

Do: Apply sunscreen and use the window shade

Finally, she reminded viewers to put on sunscreen before boarding a flight and to make use of their window shades to avoid sun damage.

“The sun damage on airplanes is really intense,” she explained, adding, “I always shut my sunshade right when the pretty view is gone.”