Gross reason to keep this travel essential out of airport security bins
Updated . First published
Almost every savvy traveller keeps hand sanitiser or wipes in their bag at all times.
Travelling through airports and onto planes is a germy experience - with roughly 12 million passengers taking to the skies each day, chances are, you're going to come in contact with some unwanted bacteria.
And there are some hotspots that are worse than others.
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Airports have a lot of touchpoints - and a lot of places that harbour germs. Getty
Unfortunately, one of the germiest things in an airport is something you can't avoid: the security bins.
Research shows that 50 per cent of tested security screening trays carried "respiratory virus genetic material, which is the highest contamination rate of any airport surface tested," says Steven Goldberg, MD, a physician and the chief medical officer at HealthTrackRx.
But they're unavoidable, unless you're travelling with literally nothing but a passport and a boarding pass.
Reader's Digest reached out to three doctors to find out the best way to navigate this germy situation.
The one thing they absolutely recommend you keep out of the security bins is your earbuds or headphones.
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Security bins are one of the germiest things in the airport. Getty
If you've got them in your ears or around your neck as you line up for security screening, it feels natural to just toss them into the bin with your phone.
But resist that urge!
Earbuds and headphones go right next to your face - meaning they're very close to your eyes, nose, and ears, the body's main germ entry points. Earbuds actually go inside your ears, which can introduce microbes directly into the ear canal.
Daniel Egan, MD, an infectious disease physician, told Reader's Digest that viruses "cling better to nonporous surfaces, like plastic bins, earbuds and headphones, as well as earbuds' silicone tips and coverings."
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Store your headphones in your bag before going through security. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The viruses that are most likely to cling to security bins, he says, are respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses, such as rhinovirus (aka the cold virus), coronavirus, norovirus and influenza.
Which really isn't something you want to contract on your way to a holiday!
The best way to avoid contamination is to pack every single thing you have on you into your bag before putting it through the security screener.
Pop your earbuds back into their case and tuck them into a pocket of your bag to keep them safe.
If you're really worried, you can give your hands a spritz of sanitiser after picking up your bag, or wipe it down with a sanitising wipe.
And as an added bonus, keeping things in your bag helps keep them from being left behind in the tray as you rush to your gate.
Regular cleaning can keep you healthy. Getty
How to clean earbuds and headphones
Even when you're not travelling, it's a good idea to clean your earbuds frequently. Here are Dr Goldberg's tips:
- Remove silicone tips or coverings.
- Use an alcohol wipe to clean each one thoroughly.
- Wipe the earpiece where the silicone tips go.
- Wash foam headphone coverings, if present, with mild soap and water.
- Dry completely before reattaching them.
