Lee Thornton - Youre Doing It Wrong!: How to Improve Your Life by Fixing Everyday Tasks You (and Everyone Else) Are Totally Screwing Up

Youre nestled upon your airplane pillow, in your aisle seat for easy access to the bathroom so you can wash your hands frequently to keep all those airplane germs at bay. This may shock you, Dr. Pasteur, but youre doing it wrong. In fact, youre probably exposing yourself to more germs than when using a sunbaked Porta-Potty at a summer music festival*. (*data pending)

How about if youre really hard-core about germs, and you brought a little mask to breathe through? If youve ever worn one for more than five minutes, you know how uncomfortable they get. But its worth it not to get sick, right? All the recirculated air is full of germs, right? Youve worked in an office, and you lived in a huge dorm. You know about these things. So you decide to go wash your hands and have a little snack on your tray table. The problem is, youre disgusting.

First of all, dont worry about the air; its the least of your problems (especially if youre actually wearing the surgeons mask). Airplane air is only partially recirculated. Boeings website states, of its commercial planes: Air circulation is continuous. Air is always flowing into and out of the cabin. That means most commercial buildings on the ground have dirtier air than your airplanes cabin.

Pillows and blankets are often recycled, so be sure to avoid those. A highly germ-laden surface is your seatback tray table. In a 2007 study, Jonathan Sexton found 60 percent of airplane tray tables were positive for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Sexton recommends using antibacterial wipes on the tray before you even think about eating off it.

As for the hand washing, airplane bathrooms are crammed with contaminantssome studies found that even the running sinkwater itself occasionally contained fecal bacteria. The bathroom sinks are also loaded with bacteriatheir small size forces many people to touch the rims of the sinks with their dirty hands. If you have a short flight, use the restroom before you board and avoid the airplane bathroom entirely. If thats not reasonable, be sure to carry hand sanitizer with you, so you can sanitize even after you wash your hands.

Now on to that convenient aisle seatits the most dangerous choice when it comes to airplane germs, as it is touched the most and, therefore, is the most likely to have been contaminated. Studies by the Centers for Disease Control have found that in a plane in which some passengers are ill, the people sitting in the aisle seats were most likely to contract the same illness. Luckily, there are several ways to get yourself a window seat: book early, and confirm your seat when booking, and again when you check in. Join a frequent flier program, as seat selection is often part of the programs rewards. In some cases, you can upgrade your seat for a fee (Continental, JetBlue, and Virgin America all offer fee-based seat upgrades per flight, and United offers an annual fee option.) Get to the airport early to ensure you dont lose your spot, and if all else failsask. Remember to be nice to the often-maligned staff, and at the last minute, they may be able to move you into the seat of a no-show. If youre rude or demanding, theres very little chance they will go out of their way to help you.

Dont be shy about taking out the Handi Wipes and wiping down your surfaces, and using hand sanitizer, even if it makes you look a little neurotic. If youre concerned about the chemicals, tea tree or neem oil wipes from your local health food store are helpful. Dont forget the 3.4-ounce rule on liquids, so dont bring your jug of sanitizer from the BigLots store. You really dont need more than 3 ounces. If you doyoure doing it wrong. And hey, at least youre not wearing a mask!