Those who wipe down the seats and tray tables with anti-bacterial wipes...
 

Well, I have to ask. Does it actually help? I would love some sort of scientific answer on this, because one half of me says "the world has been brilliantly marketed to by Purell and Clorox into thinking everything we come in contact with is going to kill us" and the other half of me thinks "well, if it keeps me from getting sick while traveling, I'd have no problem doing this."

I have always gotten a small chuckle out of the germophobic crowd who goes nuts over this stuff, but with a number of long itineraries coming up would like to do my best to stay healthy. If it's really any more effective than washing my hands after using the lav and getting plenty of rest and fluids, let me know...

Those who wipe down the seats and tray tables with anti-bacterial wipes...
 

I'm with you on this. I only clean the traytable if it looks dirty, just wipe it down. If you think about it, in your everyday life you are exposed to so many situations where you come in contact with people who may have not washed their hands, cover their mouth when sneezing, etc. You get the idea. I believe you should develop some type of inmune system.

Those who wipe down the seats and tray tables with anti-bacterial wipes...
 

Well if the plane is a heavily used plane with short hops ( southwest etc)
It makes since to do this.
These planes only get a quick "clean up" between short haul flights
So tray tables can be sticky gooey stained etc with all kinds of foreign matter.

If it's a long haul flight
You have a better chance of the plane having a more thorough cleaning.

In this case you're cleaning it becasue it's sticky and annoying.

If I'm not mistaken, the OP is referring to the health nuts that are convinced they're going to die, if they don't use their wipes on a surface that may not even display a hint of stickiness.

I think we all know the scientific answer.

Yup - that's what I mean - though I agree with the previous posters who mentioned cleaning 'gunk' off of the tray tables, armrests etc - that stuff grosses me out far more, but I think it's aversion to getting it on my clothes more than anything.

Those who wipe down the seats and tray tables with anti-bacterial wipes...
 

The human species has more or less conquered many diseases (dysentery, typhus, etc) through good hygiene. But soap and water is just as effective as Clorox and Purell.

The reality is that the chances of catching a disease from a hard plastic surface on an aircraft are effectively zero. You are much more likely to catch a disease from shaking hands with the client / colleague with a cold or eating food prepared by the kitchen hand with norovirus who didn't wash his hands properly before preparing your salad.

The incremental use of wipes for my flights 1) costs little 2) gives me something to do before departure 3) makes me feel better 4) makes the area smell better 5) helps me forget about past incidents of nails being clipped, diapers being changed and people drooling in their sleep, on the tray tables.

Even if wiping away averts (or even the belief it averts) one case of cold or flu in my life, then it was all worth it.

In summary:
If wiping everything down around you allows you a more enjoyable ride, then I say wipe away.

I don't wipe down my seat area, I do however, wash my hands much more frequently and avoid touching my face.

Those who wipe down the seats and tray tables with anti-bacterial wipes...
 

Effectively the same as TSA requiring people to take their shoes off.

Whatever floats your boat.

I don't care about the anti-bacterial part. I wipe it just to have a clean surface, even with a wet-nap.

On a recent flight, both myself and my seatmate got out our wipes. Honestly, why would you not take a minute to make sure that nothing icky or communicable is on your seat or tray table? Do you really trust that the cleaners were careful enough when your plane has seen hundreds of passengers some of which may not be very careful ?

I never clean it when travelling myself unless it is visibly dirty or sticky. However, I will be wiping it down on my trips with my daughter in F since she is allergic to nuts and I want to remove any nut residue to minimise the chances for a reaction. She is only 2 and loves to suck her thumb so I don't want her to touch a nut residue and out it in her mouth. Just a little ounce of prevention

I only wipe the tray if it is very dirty, mainly at int'l long haul flights.

I never wipe down my seat or tray table, or use antibacterial wipes or hand sanitizer or anything of the sort. In fact the only time I wash my hands is after I use the restroom.

Using all that stuff is counter productive. The human body needs to regularly be exposed to germs to keep the immune system active, sort of like exersize.

About once a year I will get sick allergies wise where I will have a runny nose and headache, sneezing for a day or two, then I am fine. About once every 4-5 years I will get sick with the flu where I am completely out for a week or so. My immune system is doing its job because I am always exposed to germs.

Does anyone wipe down the keyboard or screen they are using to type on flyertalk? I guarantee those surfaces contain more germs than a tray table.