How to Stay Clean While Traveling
If You Love to Travel but Hate Germs, Here Are Some Tips For Your Next Trip
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Anyone who's ever found a stray hair on a hotel bed, witnessed a tray table used as a diaper-changing table, or been handed a reused (and unwashed) plane blanket knows: you don't have a be a full-on germophobe to get grossed out by the less-than-clean conditions that seem to go hand in hand with travel. But for those of us who already carry an arsenal of hand sanitizer and wet wipes on a daily basis, it's easy to feel like we're fighting a losing battle when it comes to planes, trains, and hotel rooms.
As a lifelong germophobe, my relationship with travel is complicated; while I have a diagnosable (if not millennial-defining) case of wanderlust, the many unsanitary situations serve as a serious deterrent to my adventurous spirit. But thankfully, through years of traveling both for leisure and for work, I've racked up a series of tried-and-true hacks for staying calm, collected, and — perhaps most importantly to me — clean while traveling. From one germophobe to another, you're welcome.
1 Choose a Scented Hand Sanitizer
Let's be real: you're likely to encounter some less-than-pleasant scents while traveling on planes, trains, or public transportation. So while any hand sanitizer is better than none, it's worth the extra buck or two to have one that can pull double duty, leaving both your hands clean and the air around you refreshed. Pro tip: check out Honest's hand sanitizer spray ($6). The light antibacterial comes in three scents, each infused with essential oils.
2 Bring Along a Pack of Wet Wipes
If there's one tip you follow on this list, make it this one, because wet wipes ($6) are about to become your new favorite travel companion. These little wipes are remarkably inexpensive and offer what is basically a one-size-fits-all solution to your travel woes; in addition to using them as intended (on your hands), they work well for disinfecting a variety of surfaces including hotel room TV remotes, airplane headrests, tray tables, and iPhones.
3 Splurge on TSA Precheck
For those who can afford it, TSA precheck is worth its price tag tenfold — not only does it usually offer access to shorter security lines, but it also means you can skip unpacking your electronics and removing your jacket and shoes. Considering one of the grossest parts about travel is having to go through the checkpoint barefoot (or in socks), this program makes flying not only easier, but cleaner.
4 Pack an Extra Pair of Socks in Your Carry-On
Paying your way into the TSA precheck line isn't the only way to keep the security line process stress (and dirt) free. If you're wearing sandals or other shoes without socks, be sure to pack an extra pair in your carry-on so when you take your shoes off, you can quickly slip socks on as to not walk through barefoot. These can also come in handy on the plane, where your fellow passengers will thank you for not exposing your bare feet to the elements (aka the recycled plane air).
5 Ditch the Weekender Bag
Besides being infinitely more convenient and easy on your back and shoulders, wheeled baggage is also much more sanitary than totes or weekenders. Since these bags can usually stand up on their own, they don't need to be set down on seats or hung on bathroom hooks — instead, the wheels offer a few inches of separation between the bag and the floor, reducing the amount of surface area that comes into contact with various surfaces while traveling.
6 Store Bags in Overhead Bins
OK, I know this a controversial topic. Lots of people reserve a certain place in hell for passengers who store their backpacks and coats in the overhead compartments. And I can understand this sentiment if the plane is full and people are fighting for slivers of space or if you've never thought of how flat-out disgusting it is to put your bag on the floor. I mean, take a second and think about all the places the bottoms of your shoes have been, not to mention the bottom of the shoes of the many, many people that sat in that seat before you. Is that really what you want to be putting your bag on?
7 Wear Shoes Made of Plastic or Leather
You never know what you're going to run into when traveling, and between kids dropping snacks, trains lurching and spilling drinks, and bathrooms that look more like porta-potties, it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to footwear. Shoes made from plastic or leather are easier to wipe down and clean off and are less likely to pick up stains or germs from your travels.
8 Remove Nonwashable Pillows From Hotel Beds
If you've ever stayed in a hotel, then you likely know which ones I'm talking about — the large body and decorative pillows that don't have pillowcases and, thus, are likely washed about 1/50 times as the rest of the bedding (if that). Until we can get a petition going to get hotels to ditch these unnecessary appointments for good, I suggest at least taking them — and keeping them — off the bed for your stay.
9 Purchase Cheap Slippers For the Hotel Room
A pair of slippers will run you about $6 from Forever 21 and even less if you think ahead and order from an online vendor like Amazon or Wish. They're a must if you're staying in a hostel or low-grade hotel and can make even the nicest hotel rooms instantly feel a bit cozier and more like home. Plus, you have the benefit of knowing your feet aren't picking up dirt, cleaning products, or allergens from the hotel room floor, especially if it's carpeted.
10 Bring Your Own Blanket and/or Pillow
As airlines continue to pull back on complimentary amenities, fewer and fewer are offering complimentary pillows and blankets — and out of those that are, almost none are fresh. That's right, there's a very good chance that those blankets and pillows placed on your plane seat were already keeping someone else warm before you got there, if not a few people. Play it safe and bring along your own travel pillow and blanket, especially if you're taking a red-eye flight; you'll not only be more comfortable, but you'll also be warmer and less likely to be kept up by the people around you.
