Travel advice: Effective ways to sanitize your travel gear after a journey

Numerous regions worldwide and U.S. states have started reopening following nearly 18 months of lockdowns due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Although travel remains below pre-crisis levels, airlines are progressively increasing their services despite lingering uncertainties.

In this context, travelers are increasingly focused on reducing their risk of exposure to the coronavirus and other germs. TPG provides advice on cleaning your airplane seat, avoiding germs in your hotel room, and maintaining health while traveling.

But what should you do once you return home?

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Sanitizing after travel

TPG consulted healthcare professionals for recommendations on what to clean when you return home from your journey.

"That's a straightforward one," remarks Paul Pottinger, an infectious disease expert at the University of Washington in Seattle. "The key area to clean after traveling is your hands."

Even if you diligently follow current guidelines to disinfect your airplane seat, tray table, overhead vent, and seat belt, Pottinger advises washing your hands right after disembarking and again as soon as you enter your home.

Germs can linger on anything you've touched during your journey from the airport to your home – such as the suitcase handles you grab from the baggage claim carousel, the door of the taxi or Uber that drives you home, and the door handles as you enter your house or apartment — "which may pose a potential health risk for some time," stated Pottinger.

Which travel items should you disinfect once you're home?

Regarding the gear you've brought on your trip, "it's always a good practice to clean frequently touched items" — particularly with the heightened awareness of COVID-19, noted Dr. Amy Faith Ho, an associate medical director and emergency physician in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.

"The virus is currently believed to remain viable, from droplets, for hours to days on various surfaces," explained Ho. "Recommendations are continually evolving as new information emerges, so the CDC website can serve as a useful and reliable resource."

"Think about sanitizing items like your passport holder and its exterior, your cellphone, and the handles and outer surface of your suitcase," advised Ho. Additionally, remember to clean any personal items you brought on the plane and the outside of products used during the flight, like lotion bottles or your glasses case.

You can wash these items with soap and water, according to Ho, or disinfect them using any of the readily available wipes, sprays, or solutions.

Once you return home, it's wise to wash all the clothes you packed in your suitcase, emphasized retired nurse practitioner and frequent traveler Diane DeGraff, "not just the ones you wore."

And since your wheeled suitcase has likely been rolled through dirty streets and over grimy carpets, it's essential to use a cleaning solution to wipe down the wheels before bringing it into your home.

If you won't be using your carry-on, suitcase, garment bag, or any travel bag for some time, "consider giving the gear a quick clean," suggested Pottinger. "Then, once it's empty, store it in a closet or under the bed until your next trip. After a few days, most germs will be eliminated."

What about that jacket you wore during the flight?

"If you didn’t sanitize your seat on the plane before sitting down, you might want to have the coat cleaned," Pottinger suggested — especially if you were near someone who looked ill.

The same applies to anything you placed on the floor beneath the seat in front of you. "Regardless of what they claim, airplane floors are definitely not clean," Pottinger remarked. "So it makes sense to clean those items too."

And will it be acceptable to relax this increased focus on cleaning once the threat of the coronavirus pandemic lessens?

"It's always a good habit," Ho stated. "Even if a particular virus isn’t specified – like flu, SARS, MERS, H1N1 – there is a long list of viruses that can make you sick at any time. Maintaining good hygiene is essential, always."