HuffPost UK recently spoke to former flight attendant (now TikTok star) Jeenie Weenie about how fliers seeking a row to themselves would do well to book a back seat. 

Since then, the pro has shared more pearls of wisdom ― including some slightly icky facts about parts of the plane most of wouldn’t think are as dirty as they often are. 

Jeenie, who has paired with travel site Expedia for their 2025 Air Hacks Report, says that way too many passengers fling their coats into the space without really knowing how dirty it may be.

What’s the area?

Per Jeenie: “One area that travellers might not think about is the overhead bins, which are rarely cleaned, so it’s important to remember this if you choose to stow your jackets or items in them.” 

And if you think you’d be better served by stowing your stuff away in the pocket at the back of the seat in front of you, think again ― some flight attendants have claimed that these are flat-out “never” cleaned. 

Jeenie’s comments suggest that the overhead bins and back-seat pockets are symptoms of a broader issue with onboard hygiene. 

“While planes are cleaned, this tends to be done at a surface level,” she told HuffPost UK.

“I’d always recommend that travellers take wipes with them to give your space an extra clean when you board.” 

Naomi Campbell called it years ago...

Wait... how often are aeroplanes cleaned, then?

According to the aviation site Simple Flying, smaller planes can be cleaned in 25 minutes ― larger commercial jets can take an hour or two. 

Throughout the day, and especially when there’s a tight turnaround, staff naturally focus more on issues that are easy to spot, like rubbish. 

“A basic but more thorough cabin clean is usually carried out at night – or when there is more downtime – and it includes the cleaning of toilets, wiping down and disinfecting of trays, cleaning galleys, [overhead bins], seats etc,” Christian Rooney, manager of plane cleaning company JetWash Aero, told CNN. 

A thorough “deep interior clean” happens every month to six weeks, he adds, which “takes several hours and is extremely thorough.”