Why You Should Never Take Your Shoes Off on a Plane, According to a Flight Attendant

""There are hygienic considerations. I always compare taking off your shoes on a plane to going shoeless on a public bus," Natalia Yepes, an ex-flight attendant and owner of Adventuresque Travel Boutique, shared with Travel + Leisure. "Think about how many people ride it a day. At each stop, the cleaners only have 10 minutes-sometimes less. They are not focusing on germs, but just on keeping the plane looking aesthetically clean (free of crumbs and big debris).""

"And don't think wearing socks is enough. As McKenzie described, passengers sometimes spill liquids on the floor, or miss the toilet when they go, and all that "stuff gets on your feet through your socks; it's just not hygienic at all." Even worse, he added, when you put your feet back in your shoes and head off the plane, you "bring all those germs home with you.""

Airplane floors and bathrooms harbor significant contamination because cleaning between flights is brief and focuses on visible debris rather than germs. Flight attendants and former airline staff report that toilets are especially unsanitary, and passengers spill liquids or miss the toilet, depositing fluids and waste onto floors. Walking barefoot or in only socks allows contaminants to contact skin and be carried back into shoes and homes. Socks do not reliably protect against these residues. Passengers should avoid removing shoes on planes, never enter airplane bathrooms without shoes, sanitize hands after use, and use paper to handle door handles.

Read at Travel + Leisure