Airplanes see countless passengers every day, and high-touch surfaces like tray tables, seat belts, armrests and overhead bins are often handled without being disinfected between flights, letting microbes transfer to your clothing. Spending hours sitting near other passengers can also leave germs clinging to your clothes.

One habit I’ve adopted is tossing my airplane clothes straight into the wash as soon as I get home, helping prevent germs from spreading to family or pets. It may sound extreme, but there are science-backed reasons to wash travel clothes immediately.

Here’s what you should know, and why you should consider washing your travel clothes ASAP:

How Germs Circulate On Planes

Planes might not be inherently dirty, but there are plenty of ways microbes, including bacteria and viruses, can spread during a flight. From brushing your sleeve against the armrest or tray table to resting your head on the seat back or standing in lavatory queues, every interaction offers a chance for these tiny hitchhikers to transfer onto your clothes.

“The air around all of us and any other living thing we encounter is surrounded by a small cloud of microbes, skin particles and dust particles, directly from our bodies or clothing,” said Karen Duus, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Touro University Nevada. “As people gather, those little personal clouds mingle, and some of it is exchanged and sticks to us or our clothing as we touch, brush against, sit or lie on different surfaces, pass by people, pets, animals and plants.”

Beyond surface contact, germs can also travel through the air when people breathe, talk, cough or sneeze, letting infectious droplets settle on you.

“Respiratory viruses are the most common infectious diseases that can be transmitted on planes … and are easiest to spread,” said Dr. Zachary Hoy, a board-certified paediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group in Nashville, Tennessee, referring to illnesses such as influenza, COVID and the common cold.

Our shoes can be culprits, too,........

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