Why You Should Never, Ever Take Your Shoes Off on an Airplane
Updated: Jul. 10, 2019
When flight attendants see passengers walking around without their shoes on, they cringe.
Do you take your shoes off on a plane? You might want to rethink that…
Flight attendants have seen everything while flying—seriously, these are the secrets they aren’t telling you. So when something grosses them out (e.g. passengers walking around the plane without their shoes on) take it from them—you really shouldn’t do it.
Airplane bathrooms might seem like they’re clean, but they’re actually pretty unsanitary. In between flights, the bathrooms are only given a quick spray of disinfectant, a wipe down, and then restocked with toilet paper. And we hate to break it to you, but that liquid you see on the floor most likely isn’t water, so take this travel tip to heart: you should really be wearing your shoes. (Make sure you never do these 14 other things on a plane, either.)
The bathroom isn’t the only reason you should keep your shoes on on a flight. When a passenger gets sick on a plane, the carpet is only spot cleaned. A cleaning crew will take care of those gross spots, but they won’t clean the whole area where germs could have spread.
We know it’s tempting to kick off your shoes and relax on a flight but it’s best to keep them on. You’ll be a lot cleaner and the people sitting around you will most likely thank you for it, too.
Want more insider info? Here’s the One Word You Need to Say to Get Your Flight Attendant to Like You!
