Every year billions of passengers travel by airplanes. Well for sanity of argument these all do not travel by one airplane on one route, but that’s a global estimate that’s enough to make us worry. With such huge influx, chances of passengers carrying germs also increase. The interiors might look very shiny and all well fabricated, but trust me it is a place full of germs, here, there and everywhere, having provided that it gets only handful of time for ground staff to clean it post a transit. Sounds’ alarming right, but good news is that situation is not completely out of control, here is how.
Take some supplements – Yes we all keep hearing this, and also keep avoiding it like anything. The truth is that germs means diseases, and diseases mean that you should go and see a doctor. Technically before boarding a flight you are not exposed to the germs of the plane, but isn’t it better to take precautions before hand. So before boarding a flight consult with your family doctor.
Your doctor knows your medical history, he knows what you are allergic to, he knows which diseases you catch easily, and he will be the best person to arm you before you board that flight. Take some chill pills which might be to prepare you mentally or which might be to prepare you physically. But take those medicines or supplements. Probably you will be safer than rest of them.
Turn into a hand washing maniac – We all have been across some or the other person who is obsessed with washing hands, and now it is your turn to replicate it, no matter how you would be prejudiced. Yes people are going to think that you are crazy, for washing hands so many times, but it will be you who will be safe from all those germs and not them.
The rule number one of washing those hands is to completely soak them in water, and flap them over for 20 seconds with the hand wash soap. This will surely beat the germs out. If you are not satisfied you can repeat this process again, and we guarantee that germs will leave your hands. This is the start of being germ free on an airplane and one of the most important measures.
Usage of hand sanitizers – This one is for folks who feel embarrassed more than usual for taking that quick washroom break. Yes for them hand sanitizers are life savers. Trust me using a hand sanitizer is equally as good as washing your hands. The thumb rule of hand sanitizer is to apply it at all corners of your hand, and rub till the moistness dampens.
Although we are against consumption of alcohol on airplanes, but there is an exception to alcohol based hand sanitizers. These are life savers. Though they don’t taste very well (Please don’t think of giving a sip a try), but they too beat the germs out. Once you will get start using hand sanitizers you will feel how easy it is to use them. Also make a point of using sanitizers that have more than 60% alcohol concentration.
Don’t touch face with unwashed hands – You might have heard pediatricians say to your kids that don’t touch your nose, eyes and mouth with bare unwashed hands. Well now is the time for your babysitting. These parts of the face are very vulnerable, and provide a direct access point into your body where germs can creep in and turn into a major disease.
To avoid entry of any such germs in your body you just got to refrain from using your hands on your face. Even if the urge is irresistible, then we insist that you first go and wash your hands and then do a touch up. After listening this you don’t need to freak out, as you can also use hand sanitizers to clean your hands before you touch your face. For adult passengers, this might be little easy to do.
Air vents on planes – On every airplane there is an air vent, and believe me irrespective of its little size, it is pretty instrumental in warding off germs. In short it is a life saver for people that travel on planes. Apart from the air conditioning, it also has a super power, which is normally not realized by the air passengers, because we treat it just like a normal air vent.
The superpower of the air vent comes with feature of proper ventilation. Yes these air vents will always provide you with blows of air, that will help you combat with the germs. As long as air is moving around your body, the germs wont get ample amount of chance to settle on your clothes or your body surface. So make a note of it to never shut down the air vent.
Sanitary wipes – Physical touch is the most vulnerable means of spreading germs. It is the easiest way for germs to board your body. Physical touch becomes even more risky during summers when there is a lot of sweat that your body is producing. To avoid any such transfer of germs, always bring your sanitary wipes and clean the armrest, handles of your seat before you take a plunge.
The armrest and handle of your seat are the most dangerous parts of plane that can contaminate you. Just remember that a person has sat on this seat while touching all those parts, for hours before you took his place. You can also carry couple of pieces with you to the washroom when needed to open the door knob and may be for turning on the tap. Always stay cautious.
Stay hydrated – Well water not only makes you feel high, but also has advantages against germs. Trust the doctors when they say to consume at least 4 liters of water every day for a regular adult. It is also okay if you are not drinking direct water, but instead you are taking that much amount of fluids in form of juices, or shakes. In airplanes being hydrated is even more important.
Airplane air is 55 percent drier than normal air which can dry protective membranes of sinuses, making you vulnerable to cold. Yes up in those skies you become more vulnerable of catching cold and infections. Plus a good fluid intake also enables or say ensures the flushing out of toxic material from your body. In short it wasn’t a law of newton, but please stay hydrated.
Face Mask – We always say its better safe than to be sorry, but the moment of realization comes on an airplane when you are seated next to a sneezing and coughing passenger. Trust me there could be no situation more unhygienic than that. With every sneeze you come closer to catching up with a flu or cold, which is a very normal infection and disease.
Now even if you want, you cannot swipe seats with other passengers because the loud sneezes has already warned everyone on the plane. To combat such situations it is recommended to be safe, by carrying a face mask always when you travel. These face mask will help you keep safe from, such fellow passengers. Use it whenever needed or else carry it on to the next flight.
Bring your own stuff – This might sound like a burden, but it’s better than trying to drag yourself out of bed for a glass of water, when you will fall sick post flight. Make it a note of bringing your own blankets, pillows, and headphones. There is a reason why every airplane allows carry on luggage so you can keep close the things that you might need immediately and are vital for journey.
The point being that every airline will though provide you these amenities like blankets, pillows, and headphones, but trust me the ones provided by airplanes are got to have germs. People they are serially used by n number of people. I will not question the authority of planes that they do not wash them. But still they cannot be a hygienic things to cling on your body.
Go for hot meals – Check with the lovely Flight attendant, not exactly what it sounds, but if there is option for hot meals. Yes on longer flights you will get such facility, as they will have a microwave oven. The food that will be served can be hot or even cold, and if it is cold then you got to push up things a little bit and insist for warming the food packet.
A meal cooked properly with high temperatures will kill any germs in it. Even if you do not re cook it, and just warm it on hot temperatures, that too will kill any germs in it. So always insist on warm food, and if the flight doesn’t provides that it safe to keep a back up of snacks with you for every time hunger strikes. Warm food is another way of not catching up with germs on flights.
Sick passenger – Remember you are responsible for yourself, after all your safety is in your own hands. If your fellow passenger looks dubiously sick, it’s better to ask the flight attendant for a seat switch. This goes with especially if the passenger is infected with some commutable disease. You cannot just afford to sit back and pray to god that nothing bad happens.
If you encounter any such situation then the first thing you got to do is check with the passenger if they are okay and if they are sick. Ask them about the disease, and if its infectious, then please reach out to the flight attendant. You also have to insist on this as its about your health. Probably for the safety of all passengers, it is better that the passenger be isolated on a single seat.
Choose the window seats – If it were in our ability then every passenger who travels by air would have chosen the window seat every time they fly. Yes the views that you get by choosing the window seats are incomparable but we also get to tell you that if you are thinking about hygiene then in that case too window seats are perfect.
By choosing the window seat you will always be on the dead end corner of the plane. Well do not be frightened by hearing the word dead end, it just means, that there is nothing beyond the window seat that can infect you. It is way better than choosing the seat which is in middle of people. This way you will only have one person to be cautious about to catch the germs.
Your entertainment board – Those brand new movies, and popular TV shows are simply the delights of travelling on flights. Yes many of us cannot refrain themselves from taking the full advantage of the in flight entertainment. The chances are that you will stumble upon a unique content, and you are going to love it. But before indulging into in flight entertainment, do a little check.
Pause your excitement for a moment and make yourself remember when you got to use the hand sanitizers. Well to be precise, it applies to clicking all of them, pause, start, forward, backward, volume, buttons on the entertainment board of the plane. These buttons apart from their functions also transfer germs to people. For cleaning them you can also use sanitary wipes, or sanitizer on a napkin.
Seat back pockets – Normally we all dig deep, it is where the truth is. But with Seat back pockets you better stay on top, because its ugly down there in the seat back pockets. They might look to you as a convenient spot where you can stuff all your minor belongings, but in case if you were to stay away from germs, then i suggest that you stay away from seat back pockets too.
Before you head on to the seat back pockets, we must warn you that have been depository for the previous passenger and have contained dirty tissues, food crumbs, and what not. The chances that these places are contaminated are very high as the cleaning staff mostly empties them. So the best bet is to put your items on the brink of top of those pockets to be safe.
Be a responsible flyer – All the tips that we have mentioned if tried by people, are going to be a life saver. They can be very handy when travelling. But the last tip involves you. We all have heard, to be a responsible citizen, to be a responsible traveler, to be a responsible eater, but this where you also got to be a responsible flyer. Not everything that goes bad on planes are because of other people.
The point is to refrain from flying if you are sick. If this one gets followed responsibly by everyone, maybe more than half of our tips will not be needed in the first place. If you know that you are carrying germs or maybe even viruses, then you don’t just have to think about your own well being but the well being of other flyers too. Alas, you have to be a better human.
Nuclear war might not, but Germs will sure get us!
