‘New fear unlocked’: Viral swab test exposes hidden germs lurking on airplane seats, windows, tray tables
A viral video exposes shocking bacteria levels on aeroplane seats, prompting hygiene concerns among travellers.
A video is making waves online after revealing just how dirty airplane seats and their surrounding surfaces can be, reported the New York Post. In a clip that has since gone viral, content creator @HowDirtyIs conducted a swab test on a Southwest Airlines flight, collecting samples from the seat’s armrest, tray table, window shade, and safety manual.
“How dirty is a wee flight?” the creator asked in the video caption, which showed him gathering the swabs before sending them off to a lab for testing.
The samples revealed high levels of bacteria, significantly more than what he found during a previous experiment on airport gate seating at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. That earlier test had shown only a few “skin bugs,” offering some relief to travellers passing through the busy terminal.
The latest results, however, painted a much grimmer picture. Holding up a petri dish containing bacteria from the airplane armrest, the creator offered a practical tip to viewers: “I suggest [wearing] a long-sleeve shirt.”
That advice was echoed by an American Airlines flight attendant who chimed in, saying, “The more you cover the surface of your skin, the more protection for your largest organ.”
‘Fear unlocked’
But the investigation didn’t stop at the seat. The creator also revealed swab results from the tray table, window shade, and even the in-flight safety manual, all of which were shown to carry worrying levels of germs.
The unsettling findings sparked a wave of reactions from viewers.
“New fear unlocked,” one commenter admitted.
Another wrote, “The safety manual isn’t very safe!”
“This is why I carry sanitizer and sanitizer wipes!! I clean everything!” declared a viewer with a self-proclaimed clean streak.
And one particularly horrified user pledged, “And now I’ll never fly again!!!”
As concerns about hygiene in public spaces continue to rise, the video has reignited the debate about cleanliness standards on commercial flights — and whether travelers should start packing more than just snacks and neck pillows.
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