topman

I was on United this past weekend and after using the restroom I realized how little the airlines including United have done to prevent the spread of diseases on the aircraft. The restrooms are a good example of how profit take priority of our health. As I am attempting to wash my hands I realize that we cannot wash our hands on the plane - maybe a half of our hand at a time. The coach bathrooms on the 737 are the worse.

Hawkeyefan

Another thread like this.....

SFO_UGS

W-e-l-l, I don't think it matters if it's United's restroom or United's airplanes or any other carrier: airplane bathrooms and the aircraft itself are notorious harbingers of germs. And, the people using them can be really nasty. How do you flush a toilet and immediately exit the restroom without washing your hands? Happens a lot. My biggest pet peeve and gross-out moment is when a fellow passenger enters the restroom in her or his stocking feet and there's "liquid" all over the floor? Good grief - that's disgusting! but people do it ALL the time. Or, a FA who coughs in her or his hand and wants to serve me something? No thanks. Or, the fellow passengers who put their feet (with or without shoes) on the bulkhead, in the window, across an arm-rest, etc? When the FA passes out those hot towels, I use them to wipe down my tray, seat, and anything else. (And, I've taken a cue from a fellow traveler: she travels with the handy wipes and uses them to wipe down her seat area.)

I fly a lot, but I take measures, within my control, to reduce my exposure. There are no fool-proof methods and I won't always succeed. I do the best I can to prevent any unwanted infection (whether it's a cold virus or some type of bacteria) because I dislike being sick.

Even with COVID-19, I'm still flying. Nice to have reduced passenger traffic on the airplanes - works for me. :-)

Nota bene: About 15 years ago, I started using paper towels on doors and handles (on airplanes, public restrooms, public areas). I can't tell you how significantly that has reduced those low-grade viral infections I used to constantly get while flying/traveling. It was like night and day. I rarely get sick, now. Back then, I always had "something."

nmpls

FWIW, the size of the sink shouldn't really impact handwashing.
You should wet the hands, put soap on them, and then rub them without water. Then rinse. The hands only need to be in the sink for the wetting and risings, but that can be done one at a time.
Also, you should be more worried about your tray table than the restrooms.

username

I really hate the UA 737s with the newer lavs because it is nearly impossible to wash my hands well.

There is not enough sink space - I can't get water on my entire hand, even 1 hand, without touching the sink. On top of that, there is not enough water to wash away the soap without keeping pushing the faucet.

After you are done, you can't put the paper towels fully in the trash without touching the trash door.

Sad when the ERJ175s have better lavs than the 737s.

usbusinesstraveller

Then use a towel to open the door on your way out (so not touching the handle or any faucet once hands are washed) discarding it in the bathroom trash while leaning on the door. I’ve been doing that for years.

Aa for the tray table (and armrests) I have a one quart plastic bag with Clorox wipes (15-20, refilled when home). I’m using those to wipe down any tray table, armrest, table at a bar, desk in hotel, etc.. And of course the hand sanitizer. And tissues/napkins to wipe my face.

nmpls

I will say I do wish airplanes would adopt sensor taps quickly. I haven't had issues with 737 sinks, but you might have bigger hands.
I have perfected the door open with towel in the bin. Need a little footwork on the door.

narvik

Maybe the reason is an increase of immunity to the viruses and bacteria that are out there?

BTW, are UA bathrooms worse than on AA or DL?

wanderingkev

Trying to stay on the general topic of flying associated cleanliness, I read a study several years ago ,when there was not much of this subject in the news that at any one time there are 30,000 active viruses at ORD.

fumje

Frankly I am more concerned about norovirus in the lav than coronavirus.

Long Zhiren

"I realized how little the airlines including United have done to prevent the spread of diseases"
I've been more concerned about how little the general traveling public does to prevent the spread of diseases.
My rant is that if most drivers can't even obey speed limits or use their indicators, good luck with hoping anybody will cover their coughs and sneezes.

lhrsfo

And how many people will self-isolate for 14 days if they feel a little under the weather? Especially when there's no safety net for them?

yonatan

What I found appalling last summer on two 757-200 TATL flights ex-IAD (in both the J and Y restrooms) was that the faucet was purposely designed to issue water only while pressing on the lever, making it impossible to wash both hands at once for even one second, let alone the 20 seconds recommended by the CDC. I finally made it work by jamming the lotion bottle between the lever and faucet, which kept the lever pushed down while I lathered my hands.

1P

This seems unnecessarily judgmental. The problem here is that there is no standard practice. Some people flush the loo and their wash their hands before exiting the lavatory. Others wash their hands immediately after using the lavatory and then flush (in order to minimize transmission of their germs to the flush button or handle). Others never wash their hands at all. And of course a significant number of people don't flush either.

Short of trying to establish a standard practice and then policing it with in-lavatory attendants (!), nothing is going to change.

bocastephen

Definitely - for me, coronavirus = meh, but I get norovirus like others get the common cold, and I am tired of it, and yes, this is why I yell at people who I witness doing stupid things like taking buffet food with their hands.

The lavs are the lavs. They were dirty and filthy before coronavirus, and they will be dirty and filthy long after. Nothing is going to change. If you're not using chlorox type wipes to clean your tray table, arm rest, head rest and other areas of the seat that you are touching, then you really have no right to complain about a dirty lav, it's the least of your worries. How many people go into the lav without shoes or slippers on Polaris flights? I've seen countless people do this very stupid thing.

In the small lav sinks, I can soap up both hands and rub without touching anything, and then rinse one hand at a time so I dont touch the sink, but I often place paper towels around the sink edge to avoid direct contat, and I can use those towels to wipe up my mess, and then have something to grab the lav door latch so I am not touching it either.

It's not hard to stay safe on a plane - just a litte effort and common sense.