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What to Avoid to Stay Healthy on the Airplane

July 1, 2017 By Wendra

Have you ever seen your flight crew show up at the gate with Starbucks?  Do you think we all have a caffeine addiction?  A lot of us do (guilty!) and there’s a reason we hit Starbucks instead of waiting til we get on the plane to have a coffee.

What’s in the Water?

One of these reasons is due to the water being kept in tanks.   In case you weren’t aware, the water tanks on the airplane are cleaned by adding chemicals.  I recently asked a mechanic at my airline how the process is routinely done.  He said they drain the tanks, add water and then add the chemicals.  (Chlorine and Purogene  are 2 that are commonly used to disinfect aircraft water) The chemicals sit in the tanks for about 2 hours before they are flushed and tested with a strip in several locations (the lavatory, the coffee makers) several times to make sure the water is safe to drink.

The entire process takes around 8 hours if its done properly.  I asked the mechanic how often the tanks are cleaned and he told me more frequently on domestic planes and that some international carriers try to cut corners by only draining half the tank in the beginning.

Is it safe?

I’m sure it’s fine to drink the water from these tanks on occasion but I just don’t want to do it every day.  I am on the plane 5 out of 7 days each week and I don’t want to be drinking water with exposure to all those chemicals. However, there have also been cases where bacteria and sediment are still present even with added chemicals (tainted water on aircraft).  And I personally have flown on planes where there wasn’t any tap water at all and we were provided with antibacterial wipes in the lavatories!  I later found out I had been flying a 757 that had been rumored to have E coli!  So to play it safe I don’t ever drink anything made with hot water on the plane.  Just so you know, we have no way to make coffee or tea with bottled water.

Airplane Food

I also avoid airplane meals at all costs. I realize this isn’t always possible (especially when traveling on long haul international flights) but all of the food is full of salt and preservatives and I guarantee none of it is organic!  A pilot told me a story once how a plane had been at the hangar for 3 days while mechanics were working on it and apparently the food carts hadn’t been unloaded.  When the plane was brought back to the terminal and the pilot got onboard he opened the food cart and the salads were still green and the lettuce wasn’t even wilted!  There is no way a salad can stay green after staying unrefrigerated for 3 days in a plane in the hot sun. I have witnessed flight attendants feeling sick after eating the salads due to the chemicals that are sprayed to keep them looking fresh.

About those tray tables…

Then there are the tray tables….The only place I’ve seen them cleaned in between flights is in Mexico.  Somehow those amazing cleaners come on and spray down each individual table in record time.  Most of the time airplanes are on the ground for an hour and then head back out again so cleaners rarely clean each table.  I have personally seen people change their babies on them, put their dirty, naked feet on them and on the next flight someone dumps a bag of pretzels or their kid’s cheerios straight onto the tray table and eat right off of it.  It makes me sick just thinking about it!

If you have to use the bathroom

This last thing I even hesitate to mention because  I don’t want to offend anyone by thinking they would ever do this but one of the most disgusting things flight attendants see is people using the lavatory without their shoes on.  I know you’ve been asleep for a while and your feet might be swollen but would you ever consider using a bathroom at a gas station without your shoes?  That probably isn’t water on the floor.  Turbulence happens!

In my next post I’ll include what healthy food and snacks I pack to make flying easy and as heathy as possible.

In health,

 

Sources:

Forbes
Ozone Solutions

Filed Under: airplane water, flying, travel Tagged With: airplane food, airplane water, coffee, eating healthy, flight attendants, flying, health and wellness, health tips, healthy travel, organic produce, sugar, tea, travel, travel tips

Comments

  1. Catherine Abbott says

    July 2, 2017 at 2:44 am

    Great post!! Thank you

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 2, 2017 at 8:28 am

      Glad you enjoyed it Catherine!

      Reply
  2. Margaret Welch says

    July 2, 2017 at 9:20 am

    Very helpful! Nicely done!

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 2, 2017 at 11:55 am

      Thank you Margaret!

      Reply
  3. Annie says

    July 2, 2017 at 10:20 am

    All true!! Excellent read, Wendra! Thank you for sharing….and educating Joe Public. ..then they can make informed choices. 😚

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 2, 2017 at 11:56 am

      Thanks Annie! Information is power, right?

      Reply
  4. Jennifer Halverson says

    July 2, 2017 at 10:35 am

    Wow Wendra, I love this “exposé”! The tray tables, I had no idea, yikes! Thank you so much for being honest and open. I’m sure the airlines don’t appreciate it, but us consumers do. I usually order hot herbal tea on every flight. No more!!

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 2, 2017 at 11:55 am

      Glad you enjoyed it Jennifer! I just want to get the info out to the flying public who don’t always know.

      Reply
  5. Carol C. says

    July 2, 2017 at 1:39 pm

    Thank you so much for these tips Wendra!! Didn’t realize the tray tables weren’t cleaned…so glad I’ve never eaten directly off of them. Now I’ll be bringing sanitary wipes to clean the area before I settle in for the flight. The water situation is also concerning but now I know to bring my own bottle! Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 2, 2017 at 2:27 pm

      Carol, in my next post I’ll share some tips on how I deal with the water situation. Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  6. Jo Ann says

    July 2, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    Awesome post!

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 2, 2017 at 7:39 pm

      Thanks Jo Ann!

      Reply
  7. Marla says

    July 2, 2017 at 7:58 pm

    I stopped drinking the coffee for the longest time but recently been seeking sips when I need caffeine kick. But maybe it’s time to quit again🤤🤤🤤🤤

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 2, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      Marla, I know it’s so hard when we have long days…
      And you hate to get a coffee ahead of time that you might not need.
      What about chocolate covered coffee beans? A little dark chocolate is good for you…

      Reply
  8. Eric Hughes says

    July 4, 2017 at 11:09 am

    You are spot on girl. Very interesting not to mention factual in your article. Thank you for the great story and keep up the great work

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 4, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      Thanks Eric! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  9. Carlos says

    July 6, 2017 at 5:54 pm

    Is it true, that stewardess refill the plastic bottle water with airplane tap water? I really like ur blog and look forward to more

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 9, 2017 at 4:55 pm

      Hi Carlos, glad you like the blog! So it is true, on occasion we will do this. Usually after a lengthy delay only when we have exhausted our supply of bottled water. We are required to do a water service if we are on the ground past a certain point. If we run out in flight, we will usually rip the label off the bottle. That is our way of signaling it’s “tapian” instead of Evian. And, if you’re curious don’t be afraid to ask! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Frenchy says

    July 10, 2017 at 4:31 pm

    I love the way you are going with this Blog. Well done Wendra. 18 years of flying and I agree with you on all counts. Can’t wait for the next post. 💜

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      July 11, 2017 at 8:46 am

      Thanks James! That means a lot from a frequent flyer like you!

      Reply
  11. Cathy Manley says

    August 23, 2021 at 10:32 am

    I love reading your posts. Just ordered the mushroom coffee and vanilla protein powder. Can’t wait Wendra to boost my immune system. Keep up the great posts!!!!

    Reply
    • Wendra says

      August 23, 2021 at 10:52 am

      Cathy, thank you! So happy to hear from you!! You will love the coffee and the protein powder! Here’s to staying healthy!!! xo

      Reply

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