Brenda Orelus, who uses the username Flying Bae B on TikTok, told her 98,000 followers that the pockets are filthy since they are never cleaned. As a bonus, she said that people place food and dirty diapers inside. “Did you know seat-back pockets are the dirtiest area on the aircraft?” the flight attendant said in the video she shared earlier this week. “They’re filthy than the restrooms, the seat cushions, and the tray tables,” the passenger complained.
The reason is that they are never washed, and it doesn’t get cleaned until there’s vomit or something gooey, gooey, and pus-like. The video has been seen over 30,000 times as of Thursday. Orelus said that it was common practice for cleaners to visually inspect the surface and throw away any discarded food or garbage. Still, they wouldn’t necessarily wipe out the pocket.
She said that unlike restrooms, which are routinely cleaned and disinfected, “all those germs have collected” in other areas. Some passengers voiced their displeasure at the latest developments. One shocked traveler stated, “I normally put my phone there,” Another passenger confessed that they did the same. The same — always. While it’s connected to the charger, that’s the last place I worry about my phone.
One tourist corroborated that they had witnessed a parent throw away a diaper in that same pocket. “It is so accurate!” I once observed a parent put a dirty diaper in the seat back pocket,” they stated. Other users claimed to work for airlines and disproved Orelus’ video since they frequently wash off seat pockets.
“Each aircraft has two crews working on it. One crew does a quick trash and vacuum, while the other does a thorough cleaning of each unit,” said one of the cleaners. A second cleaner concurred, indicating that it would be determined by how much time was left before the aircraft had to take off again whether or not the pocket would be cleaned.
“Typically, you get one hour and 30 minutes on the larger jets, but for rapid spins, it’s roughly 15 to 30 min with a crew of six. You aren’t incorrect, but you’re not 100 percent right,” said the other cleaner. People may neglect cleaning it because they find it inconvenient.