Flight attendant with 11 years' experience explains why you shouldn't wear shorts or dresses on a plane

Charity Nelms, a flight attendant known from a reality TV show who has spent 11 years working in aviation, has shared a series of tips for airline passengers on TikTok. Her advice, drawn from years of first-hand experience, was later picked up by the British newspaper The Independent.

According to the flight attendant, passengers often wipe down the back of the seat in front of them with antibacterial wipes, but forget about the item that's actually the most problematic — the seatbelt. It's touched by absolutely every passenger, and it frequently carries traces of bodily fluids that, in her words, are better left unimagined. She advises wiping down not just the metal buckle, but the fabric strap as well.

Long trousers only

The video's main piece of advice concerns clothing: "Wear long trousers. No dresses, no skirts, no shorts — long trousers only. No part of your skin should touch the seat, even if you've disinfected it beforehand. Trust me, I've seen truly horrifying things on those seats," Nelms said.

The Independent added a comment from another flight attendant, Cher Killow, who pointed out that parents frequently change small children's clothes right there on the plane seats.

Toilets, socks and bringing your own food

Among Nelms's other observations: passengers often don't wash their hands after using the toilet, don't flush, and don't lock the cubicle door — and because the walls are so thin, all of this is perfectly audible to everyone nearby. The flight attendant urges passengers to always flush, wash their hands, and close the door behind them using an elbow.

She also advises against walking into the toilet in just your socks, and recommends bringing snacks from home rather than overpaying for airport food — though she suggests avoiding fish, eggs and other strong-smelling dishes.

How often are planes actually cleaned

Aircraft cabins are cleaned between flights, but this usually only covers the toilets and rubbish left in the cabin. Tray tables, seats, overhead bins and other surfaces are only properly cleaned during deep cleaning sessions, the frequency of which depends on the airline.

According to The Independent, Singapore Airlines carries out a thorough cabin clean every month, British Airways does so roughly every 500 flight hours, and American Airlines has said its aircraft undergo deep cleaning approximately once every 45 days.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz