With our newfound mandates to clean and disinfect to stop the spread of coronavirus, travelers have worried about the cleanliness of airline seats. And whether you have to travel during the pandemic, or you’re thinking ahead to when you get to travel again, you’ll want your space on an airplane to be as clean and germ-free as possible.

You might be thinking, “but don’t airlines clean the airplane seats already?” Yes, there are cleaning crews who come onto the plane to clean in between flights, but they have limited time and are working quickly, so spots can be missed. Airlines say they’re cleaning more thoroughly now due to the fast-spreading coronavirus, but it’s still a wise choice to give your seat some extra attention yourself.

Steps to disinfect an airplane seat:

1. Wash your hands before you board the plane. I think we all know the drill by now: use soap and water, wash for 2 rounds of the Happy Birthday song. Use a generous amount of hand sanitizer if you don’t have the ability to wash before boarding.
2. Bring your own wipes or travel-sized sprays.
3. Spray or wipe down all hard, nonporous surfaces. The overhead bin, headrest, the seatbelt, the window shade, the touch screen, the volume controls. Give extra attention to the armrests, the tray table latch, the tray table itself and especially the seatback pocket, which is teaming with germs. You might want to avoid using if possible.
4. PS: Don’t use the wipes on fabric seats. It won’t disinfect fabric and it’ll just make the seat – and then your pants—wet. If you’re worried about germs on fabric seats, try to find a washable, reusable seat cover, or bring a towel.
5. WAIT. The disinfectants don’t work instantly, and the amount of time the surface needs to stay wet varies so you should check the label and follow those time requirements. Don’t touch the surface until the appropriate amount of time has passed. This might mean you have to wait a few minutes before you can get comfy.

Other helpful hints:

• Brings wipes with you or bring a tissue or paper towel to use as a barrier when you go to the bathroom to wipe down the door handle (inside and out), the flush handle and the faucet handles.
• Don’t touch your face. Remember, the germs aren’t going to jump off the surface and attack you. They’re going to sit on a doorknob, faucet handle, or tray table after someone’s coughed on them, or coughed in their hands and then touched the surface. And when you touch the surface and then your face, that’s how the virus spreads.
• Choose a window seat if possible. An Emory University study found that the safest place to sit on a plane during flu season is by a window. People who sit in window seats have less contact with sick people when they try not to get out of their seat much during the flight, stay hydrated and keep their hands away from their faces.

Information is changing every day and may have changed since this post was written. For the most updated information see the information provided by the CDC and the WHO.

In the meantime, stay safe, following all the recommended or required guidelines, and remember your friends from AAA are here for you now and always.