You Should Avoid Doing This When Using An Airplane Bathroom

Many people do everything in their power to avoid a trip to the bathroom while on an airplane. These lavatories are usually cramped and come with the added risk of turbulence while you're trying to do your business. However, a bathroom break can't always be avoided. If you find yourself needing to go on an airplane, experts say the worst thing you can do when moving around an airplane is forget to wear your shoes (via BestLife). While going barefoot can make a flight feel more relaxing, it can cause much more harm than good in the long run.

"You could also pick up fungus, not to mention the millions of germs and bacteria that you could transfer to carpets, inside hotel rooms or homes and cars, which serves as a danger to other people," Ebonie Vincent, podiatrist and star of the TLC series "My Feet Are Killing Me," told the Washington Post. And that's just in the aisle. Airplane bathrooms are some of the most used areas of a plane and usually not cleaned during flights because they need to remain open for passengers. With a constant stream of people using the lavatory, you can bet those rooms get grimy pretty fast. Keep yourself healthy (and show respect for your fellow passengers) by keeping your shoes on while moving around the plane.

Airplane bathrooms aren't the only places that harbor germs. Airline employees do their best to clean between flights, but often have a small window of time to do so. Realistically, they don't have time to sanitize every inch of the cabin. This means you should be aware of other touch points on planes that are guaranteed to be covered with germs. According to Forbes, airplane seat back trays can be even dirtier than the bathrooms. Overhead air vents, seat belt buckles, and aisle seat headrests are other key offenders. The best way to avoid getting sick from all these germs is to thoroughly wipe down these surfaces with a disinfecting wipe as soon as you get to your seat.

According to Cleveland Clinic, practicing good health measures while flying will keep your risk of getting sick relatively low. Get a good night's sleep before you fly, eat healthy foods while traveling, and wash your hands frequently to avoid picking up a bug in the airport. You should also keep a bottle of hand sanitizer with you while traveling and use it often to kill germs when soap isn't readily available.