As it turns out, are really . Every single day, millions of people are ferried around the world on what are pretty much flying buses, and in order to keep up with ever-tightening schedules, turnaround times to clean are shrinking. Because of that, , who are doing their best, may not get every single nook and cranny on an airliner.

Anyway, to find out exactly what parts of It’s a horrifying thought, but toilet seats are not included on this list. That means everything here is nastier than.

Instruction Cards

Anyway, the first thing flight attendants told that are absolutely grody are the seatback instruction cards. They’re usually hidden away from cleaning, and most people will flip through them when they (I do it to see exactly what I’m flying on because I’m a nerd).

“The dirtiest spot on a plane is the safety instruction card in the seat pocket,” , a flight attendant and travel blogger, shared with Travel + Leisure. And while Remo notes the tray tables do usually get wiped down (more on that later), the instruction cards do not. So, once you’re done reading the safety instructions, make sure to put on a little hand sanitizer — or better yet, wipe down the instruction card with a wet wipe to save you and future passengers from any germs.

Overhead Bins

Next up is – oddly – . I never really thought about those since they’re most for – you know – , but as o everyone is touching ‘em.

Additionally, Remo said, it’s key to either wipe down or use a cloth to open the overhead compartments, as they are “touched by a lot of people,” and “rarely cleaned.” While it’s tough to avoid them, once you’re done loading your carry-on, simple use some hand sanitizer once again.

Tray Tables

This one, though, will not come as a surprise to literally anyone. It’s They’re stowed away when cleaning crews are doing their thing, and if you think they’re going to every single one and wipe them down, honey you’ve got another thing coming.

“Passengers generally know airplanes are riddled with [grime], but the [tray tables] go beyond general germs,” said Sue Fogwell, a flight attendant with more than two decades of experience. Suffice to say, it’s a good idea to give your tray table a good wipe once you get on board, especially before eating. Fogwell isn’t the only one sharing this information. A showed that tray tables had nearly eight times more bacteria per square inch than the second-dirtiest place: the overhead air vent button.

Seat Covers

are also apparently a no-no zone for grossness. You’d think they are cleared or but that’s just not the case. There’s only so much cleaning crews can really do.

“The seat covers aren’t always replaced or cleaned,” Fogwell added, explaining that they will only get replaced or cleaned if they have been reported. But even then, it could be a toss-up. “Not every gross event is reported [as] it could create a flight delay,” she said. For those who can’t bear the thought of an icky seat, there are plenty of disposable and on the market.

Just a side note, if I see you get on a plane with your own reusable seat cover, I will call the FBI on you. That is serial killer behavior.

Bathroom Door Handles

, make sure you , because as it turns out, the are infested with gross-ass germs. People just don’t wash their hands like they used to.

“The toilets are regularly cleaned, but the locks and door handles are not,” Remo explained. For this reason, Remo noted, “It’s a good idea for passengers to use hand sanitizer after stowing away their luggage, touching anything in the seat pocket in front of them, and going to the bathroom.”

And Remo is not the only one to make this claim: In October 2023, collected samples from across an aircraft and found the lavatory sink handle to be the grimiest, followed by — you guessed it — the tray table.

The Goddamn Drinks

decided to save the most disappointing nasty thing on an airplane for last: the goddamn ice and water. Jesus Chris, there is no hope.

As a 2019 peer-reviewed study by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center at the City University of New York showed the drinking water on planes as potentially unsafe for humans. The study scored 10 major airlines from 0 to 5 and found that seven out of 10 scored a three or below.

“My takeaway from doing the research was to not drink the coffee and tea at all,” Charles Platkin, Ph.D., JD, MPH, and the executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, told T+L. He had one more piece of advice for those airplane bathrooms: “I don’t wash my hands either. I have wipes that I use.”

So, as it turns out, we live in hell – and the epicenter of that hell is airplanes. Thanks so much to for opening my third eye to how nasty planes are. I’ll be sure to bring sanitizer on my next flight, as long as it.