I'd like some of the ff tips on this topic. Heres the situation, I am flying a red eye SEA-DFW-IND and was wondering how y'all stay fresh for these long flights? I of course plan on bringing my toiletries (tooth brush, tooth paste and mouth wash) with me but often times even on a short 2 hour or so flight I feel grimy, sweaty and what not. I know that being in such tight quarters it can be hard and I don't like feeling dirty if I don't have to.

I pack some baby wipes to being along in the event that the flight is delayed, stuck on the taxi way, etc. They are small and they need not be placed into your Freedom Bag�. Joy!

Great for camping trips, too.

http://uk.loccitane.com/FO/Catalog/P...prod=17LC015P7

Can be used all over the body, as well as under arms, as noted in the product description.

I also bring facial wipes and those disposable facial cleansing cloths that you can wet and use to wash your face. (no liquid, so thus does not take up space in your freedom baggie)

Here's a thread I started on this subject a couple of years ago. Some things about travel don't change!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ght=stay+fresh

Good info about clothing on Athena's thread. I prefer natural fibers as well...synthetics are convenient but stinky and not always good for crotch health if you know what I mean. Look ino the merino wool stuff out these days...Icebreakers, Ibex etc...pricey but easy to hand wash and dry in a room...durable...and comfy in wide ranges. You would think wool underwear would be hot or itchy but I have the Icebreaker boxers and they are great all year.

Also...the NoRinse line of products are good...not as easy as wipes but still cool.

I am a little overzealous about the germ thing, so no way do I ever do a sink bath in the airplane lavatory (my son did a science fair project on the water in there and needless to say, I haven't touched it since!). I don't care for the baby wipes as they leave me feeling like I need to rinse off for some reason and often the scents on the baby wipes or cleansing cloths are a bit strong. So...

For long hauls where I want to freshen up during the flight I have started buying the bulk washcloths that are available at Target and the like - I think they're about $5 for a dozen - wetting them at home, storing them individually in small ziplock bags and placing them in my carryon. I can then use them to give myself a quick wipedown in the lav or if I just want to cool down, I use them on my face and hands while seated. I use them once or twice during the flight, place them back in the individual ziplocks and toss them in the lav trash or give them to the FA with meal or snack trash. I've only been asked about it once - I guess they've seen all kinds of trash! I've never been asked about them in security, so I think they pass muster.

I pack a couple of dry ones and extra ziplocks to do the same on the way home - using the hotel water, of course!

BTW - they're also good to use if you get a seat or tray table that needs some attention, if you know what I mean. Wipe it down then toss!

As for clothing - ditto all of the posters who recommend changes of underclothing. I also really like to travel in a long cotton or jersey skirt instead of pants. It makes getting comfortable on a long haul easier for me and since the cabin temp often fluctuates, you can easily pull the skirt higher (underwear a must!) if it's too hot or down to cover your legs if it's cold. Layers are good and I travel a lot with one of those big pashminas which are big enough to cover you if it's cold without a lot of bulk. Last but not least, I carry a crib-sized pillowcase to cover the pillows that are provided - usually two plane pillows fit in there. We all know about the pillows and blankets on board... that will be my daughter's science fair project!! Sorry if I sound a bit compulsive...

Ignorance is bliss...D@#m you for telling me how bad the sink water really is!! I trust a kid's science project results more than I do the CDC...less corruption and red tape.

Yeah...thanks for telling me about the water in the lav too. I only recently found out the truth about the hotel bedpreads (the thought of them NOT washing them between every guest was unfathomable to me) and I'm still in need of therapy.

Ok- I wish everybody knew about the shower to shower DEODORANT powder. I don't mean to be gross, but the fact is if you're on a plane for 5 hours (and you're as hygeine conscious as me) you want to put deodorant in places other than your armpits. This doesn't apply just to long flights...it applies to everyday where you and your butt will be sitting in a seat for many hours at a time. The subject came up from a friend who had to share a desk with a co-worker and unfortunately the chair had "butt whiff" every time the woman would get up, so she would constantly be finding reasons to let the chair air out before sitting in it. I explained to her (and every other person who actually cared about not smelling who was listening to this conversation) that Shower-to Shower DEODORANT powder will prevent you from getting any kind of BO if you put it where I'm talking about. And for the ladies, of course taking care not to get it in other areas if you're prone to YI is important, but I can get up and down out of my seat with confidence even on the longest flights because me and my little travel size bottle of Shower-Shower powder are ready to roll.

I wear face makeup and wish I could just do the wash-cloth thing - that sounds nice. I just blot with the oil papers, which are now cut-up pieces of the toilet seat covers ever since someone posted that they are the same paper. ^

Butt Whiff?!?!

God no.....

I usually wear some light foundation too, but as it tends to feel disgusting after a few hours on an airplane, I try not to use it when I'm flying, making the washcloth thing easier. In truth, I use it mostly for my hands and try to do an unobtrusive quickie wipe down of all the surfaces around me prior to takeoff.

As for the bedspreads someone mentioned, I always always always take them off, and just use the sheets. I travel with flannels everywhere for that reason.

Since you brought it up, the whole YI thing is why I do long hauls in a skirt.

And finally, in case you were thinking you were more compulsive than I, I always have a small pack of clorox wipes with me for bathroom surfaces in a hotel. This is in direct response to personally witnessing the maid in my room wiping the toilet with a rag and then using the same rag to wipe down the sink area. Don't know if this is SOP among hotels or just one lazy maid, but still, it can't hurt to have your little pack and it gives me some measure of peace of mind.

BTW - I've never ever turned down a trip or adventure because of my compulsion. Just vigilant/prepared. At least that's what I tell myself...

Thank you all for these amazing tips! I definitely will take Clorox wipes with next week as well Shower to Shower

Crystal rock deodorant deposits a mineral layer which inhibits the growth of bacteria. I use it on other parts of the body which are prone to feel less fresh, and follow up with cornstarch baby powder (apparently mineral talcum powder may be carcinogenic--Ok, no flames, please, I know this hasn't been proven but it's a choice).

Some of those facial/hand wipes are pretty intense but there are probably some that don't smell as strong or feel sticky.

Reading this made me think of a different issue. When traveling in the premium cabins, you often get "hot towel" service, and sometimes the towels you get don't look re-usable.

I wonder what the environmental impact is of using actual cloth as opposed to disposables (like paper towels or wipes) - the end result would seem to be the same as they still end up in a landfill or get incinerated, so the difference would be the impact of the process to make a paper product or cloth product. Anyone know?

(actually, now that I think about it, in the landfill situation, the cloth would probably take longer to degrade, wouldn't it?)