An airplane isn’t making money when it isn’t flying right? It stands to reason that airlines want to keep their turnover time as low as possible. For regional flights, it isn’t uncommon for an airplane to sit for just 30 minutes on the ground after a flight before it’s back up again. So what’s happening in these 30 minutes? Passengers often wonder if someone is in there cleaning up after the passengers before. If they are getting cleaned, how much attention are they possibly getting in such a short amount of time?
The interior is obviously important for health concerns such as bacteria and viruses, but a clean exterior is necessary to keep the flight efficient and safe as well.
How often are airplanes cleaned? The interior is quickly cleaned between every flight and generally more thoroughly during slow times at night. The interior receives a deep cleaning every 30-45 days. The exterior is washed every 6-8 weeks, though this is decided on a case by case basis based on how often the plane is flying.
In this article, we’re going to look at what goes into cleaning an airplane between flights, both the interior and the exterior. We’re going to discuss who is doing the cleaning, the areas they focus on, and, unfortunately— the areas they miss.
We’ll also touch on whether or not you should be accepting those blankets and pillows they so hand out at the beginning of your flight…
Table of Contents
What gets cleaned in between flights?
As soon as the flight lands and everyone has managed their way off, the crew gets to work. Many airlines have hired cleaning crews specifically for the task, but often stewards and stewardess will be assisting. Due to time restrictions, generally things are just made to look clean, rather than all surfaces actually being disinfected. Things that get done between flights include:
- All the pamphlets are replaced. Every seat must be checked to ensure the safety procedures are available for passengers.
- Trash crammed in every nook and cranny is routed out and disposed of.
- Floor and seats are quickly vacuumed
- The lavatory is cleaned thoroughly, actually (for better or worse), more thoroughly than any other part of the airplane
- SOME surfaces are wiped down. This isn’t a guarantee, but lots of airlines do at least hit up the arm and headrests with disinfectant
- The galley is typically thoroughly cleaned
The news could certainly be worse, considering all of this is done in less than an hour and repeated up to 5 or 6 times a day. All airlines have individual protocols, but standardize their checklists to ensure that the plane is at least reasonably clean between flights.
However, deeper cleaning takes place nightly….
What gets cleaned at night?
Every night— or whenever the plane has some downtime, airlines go through a more thorough checklist of items to ensure cleanliness. In addition to the between-flight procedures, the following items are pretty standard across the board.
- The galley is deep cleaned. All surfaces are wiped down and disinfected
- The overhead bins and compartments are vacuumed out and cleaned
- The lavatories are cleaned totally, even inside the trashcan and under the sink
- The air vents are wiped down and reset
- Seat covers are disinfected
- Seat tracks (AKA crumb-catchers)
- Leather treatment for the seats
All of this can take a couple of hours, however, it is up to individual airlines to set and enforce the specific checklist of what takes place. Aside from the quick in-between-flights-cleaning and overnight cleaning, airplanes are generally serviced every month or so.
What does a monthly cleaning look like for an airplane?
Deep and thorough cleaning takes place approximately every 4-6 weeks. It can take several hours and basically includes everything you could hope for. Every surface is disinfected. EVERY surface. This includes the ceilings, the vents, the lights, UNDER the lights, everything. Even the ejection pipes from the lavatories are hit at his time.
Contracted workers use special cleaning solutions that are aircraft-approved. These heavy-duty, anti-microbial disinfectants can be effective on a surface for up to ten days (according to the manufacturing labels.)
Do airlines do extra cleaning during flu-seasons or pandemics?
For the most part, yes. Extra measures are taken for all phases of cleaning during spikes of transferrable diseases. Generally, special attention is given to surfaces that may otherwise be missed, such as folding-trays and headrests.
In addition, the galley receives more in-depth cleaning between every flight if there is a concern for communicable diseases. Airlines often request mindfulness from their passengers, requesting anyone with any symptoms to refrain from flying.
Airplanes have a bad rap for spreading communicable diseases. This is understandable considering the shared surfaces and close proximity passengers endure.
However, the exposure to airborne pathogens is not as bad as is sometimes portrayed. Air recirculation is often cited by passengers as a concern for airborne pathogens, however, the air is continuously renewed in an airplane with air from outside. The air that is recirculated is passed through highly effective filters designed to remove hazardous particulates and even viruses.
What areas should be avoided most in an airplane?
Historically, the places that have the most bacterial cultures are, unfortunately (but sort of obviously), the places that you have to touch the most.
Because the lavatories are cleaned so well between flights, their bacteria level is actually lower than lots of other areas in the airplane’s cabin.
The worst spots are folding-trays, seatbelts, and the air vent adjustments knobs. These spots generally don’t get hit until the nightly cleaning. Ways to mitigate your risk of getting sick include:
- Choosing early flights so you’re riding in a freshly cleaned plane
- Bringing hand sanitizer with you
- Wiping down the worst culprits mentioned above before you settle in
What about the blankets?!
This is a subject of controversy. Almost an urban legend, the fear exists that the complimentary pillows and blankets that airlines hand out have not been washed between flights.
This seems to not be true. At least nowadays, many airlines have certified that when they hand out a blanket or pillow, it is clean.
However, there have been passenger reports in the past of having received dirty blankets. These seem to have been flukes or cleaning personnel not following protocol.
Generally, the blankets and pillows are collected at the end of a flight, washed in an industrial washer, repackaged, and are once again handed out. Having your own might not hurt though…
How often is the exterior of the plane washed?
As planes add on mile after mile in the air, their skin begins to collect impurities such as bugs, exhaust, oil residue, and dust.
As with any machinery, it is necessary to maintain consistently, including a good exterior cleaning. A dirty airplane not only reduces air-efficiency, but it can also be a fire hazard if impurities are allowed to collect too long.
Different airlines have varying standards for cleaning the exterior of their airplanes, but typically a plane will not go longer than six months without getting a full wash-down. Many airlines double this, washing the exterior around four times per year.
Many military aircraft are washed based on the number of hours they have flown. For example, an airplane may require an exterior wash every 100 hours.
How does a plane get washed?
Some airfields actually have stations, not unlike a commercial car wash, only instead of a tunnel, it is just a section of concrete the airplane taxi’s through, while jets of water are shot up from beneath.
After an initial bath, cleaning crews will take to it with specially approved foam and brushes. Special attention is paid to any areas around the exhaust ports. The airplane’s skin is especially thin, so no harsh materials are used for scrubbing.
Summary
Airplanes are cleaned several times a day. In between flights they are quickly ‘put back together’. Trash is removed, aisles are vacuumed, and the lavatories are cleaned. All of this takes about 20 minutes with a full cleaning crew.
At night, a more thorough cleaning takes place. Most surfaces are disinfected, the galley is cleaned, the seats are serviced, and any hidden spots are searched and cleaned.
Approximately every 4-6 weeks, the plane is cleaned for several hours. It is completely disinfected with anti-microbial chemicals. Every surface is searched and cleaned, and the crew’s quarters are given a full detail.
The complimentary pillow and blankets they hand out on flights should be cleaned and wrapped in plastic every time. Really, everyone seems on board with that. But maybe bring your own just in case…
The exterior of the aircraft is washed every few months in order to provide air efficiency and reduce potential hazards.
All in all, airplanes are cleaned about as good as one could hope they could be. If you still have concerns, the main places to wipe down are the folding-tray, the seat belt, and the air vent control knobs. Happy flying!
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