Preparing for This Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to bond with family and friends over food. Perhaps you and your family may look forward to Thanksgiving holiday travels this month. Last year saw an uptick in the number of Thanksgiving travelers, and we can only expect the number of travelers to increase again this year. 

However, since holiday travel can be especially tricky, be extra vigilant about keeping your hands clean while navigating high-traffic germ hotspots in airports and follow these tips. 

What are the Germiest Parts of Airports? 

A Texas insurance company researched the number of germs we encounter at airports and while aboard airplanes. 

The Germiest Spots at the Airport

They used swab kits to identify the average amount of germs per hot spot. Their results are expressed in collections of microbial cells known as “colony-forming units”(CFU). The germiest areas in the airport were found to be: 

1. The Self Check-In Kiosk. Research shows that by far, the self-check-in kiosks in airports are the germiest high-traffic hot spots you can contact at the airport, averaging 253,857 CFU. 
2. Airline Gate Bench Armrests. Airline gate bench armrests come in at a distant second, with a little over 21,000 CFU. 
3. The Water Fountain Buttons. And coming in third place are water fountain buttons, which came in at just over 19,000 CFU. 

The Germiest Spots on an Airplane 

In the airplane, they found the germiest spots to be:

1. Airline Seatback Trays: Airline seatback trays have 2,155 CFU per square inch, making them 8x dirtier than the airplane toilet flush button. 
2. Overhead Air Vents. Researchers have measured overhead air vents at 285 CFU, making them the second dirtiest germ hot spots on airplanes. 
3. Seat Belt Buckles. Coming in third place are seat belt buckles, and it’s surprising to point out that while germy, researchers have found that these three surfaces are germier than the surfaces in airplane bathrooms. 

Tips for Dodging Germs While Traveling This Thanksgiving 

Just because airports and airplanes will be crawling with germs doesn’t mean your family has to worry about them. This Thanksgiving, make sure you are mindful of your surroundings and take extra care to minimize the number of germs on your hands. Here are some hand hygiene tips: 

1. Wash your hands before eating food at the airport or on your flight. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing your hands before and after eating. This is especially important while traveling for your Thanksgiving holiday, considering this is one of the year’s busiest travel times. Remember that for handwashing to be truly effective, it must involve scrubbing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (how long it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice). 

2. Keep hand sanitizer handy, especially while on planes

Although airlines don’t permit large sanitizer dispensers past their security checkpoints, you can bring along a portable alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispenser. This is especially useful if you have little ones traveling with you or other circumstances that make it more challenging to access opportunities for thorough handwashing.