Be prepared not to touch anything on an airplane, because eww.
If you think about it, planes aren't really cleaned between flights. I'm not really sure what the procedure is to clean the planes, but there's no way that they actually disinfect all the seats, arm rests, bathrooms, etc. in that 30 minute window from when one flight gets off the plane to when we jump on the next flight.
So...those planes are pretty gross.
According to a new study (via USA TODAY), nearly half the planes swabbed had levels of bacteria or yeast and mold that could put passengers at risk of infection. The germiest parts of the plane were also revealed: the headrest and seat pockets, on which E. coli bacteria was found in some samples.
Flight attendants surveyed in the study said they've found dirty diapers, used tampons, and loose condoms in seatback pockets, which might explain how E. coli bacteria got there.
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Photo: Getty Images/making_ultimate