The dirtiest place in the airport is not where you think
We do what we can to avoid picking up germs when travelling, but sometimes sickness is unavoidable.
Naturally, you'd assume the dirtiest place you'd encounter in transit would be the public bathrooms, right? Not the case...
READ: Why do my feet swell on planes?
A new study from Texas-based company Insurance Quotes reports that check-in kiosks are the biggest offender.
Getty
The test examined the bacteria on a variety of surfaces over the busy holiday season at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, including the check-in area, the bubbler button, the toilet flush button, tray tables, seat belt buckle and an airline gate bench arm rest.
READ: Baggage handler filmed carelessly throwing luggage
The study made some pretty disgusting findings: "With mass amounts of traffic, self-check-in kiosks are the quick stop for many flyers. One check-in screen recorded over 1 million CFU (colony-forming units).
"In comparison, an average of only 172 CFU are found on toilet seats."
Ew.
While some airlines still let you check-in over counters, giving you a chance to skip the filthy kiosks, in many cases, there's literally no way to avoid touching these germy screens.
Long story short? Be sure to pack an extra hand sanitiser the next time you travel.
