The trash can is overflowing, the floor is a mess and raising the toilet lid is a source of dread. Even the hardiest frequent fliers turn into germophobes hours into a long-range trip.
Boeing Co is readying a solution: A self-cleaning toilet.
The US planemaker says it has found a way to use ultraviolet light to kill 99.99 percent of germs in jetliner lavatories, disinfect all surfaces after every use in three seconds and keep the restroom from becoming a petri dish.
Toilets that constantly tidy themselves could help slow the spread of infectious diseases borne by passengers jetting between continents, consultant George Hamlin said.
The invention could also reduce airlines’ maintenance bills if it does not involve many moving parts, he said.
Airbus Group SE is working on a similar concept.
The concept offers a new twist on the old aviator saying: “If it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going,” aviation consultant Robert Mann said by e-mail. “Boeing should ground-test these in big-city public facilities to develop some street cred.”
Boeing’s lavatory prototype uses a type of ultraviolet light, different from the rays in tanning beds, that does not harm humans. Activated only when the airliner toilet is not in use, the lights flood touch surfaces such as the toilet seat, sink and counter top.
“We’re trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight,” Jeanne Yu, director of environmental performance for Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, said in a statement.
Airbus is working on its own improvements for jetliner bathrooms, vice president of marketing Ingo Wuggetzer said.
“Airbus is developing ‘touchless’ technologies for our future lavs and we will also include ‘anti-bacterial’ surfaces as an upcoming lav feature,” Wuggetzer said. “Moreover, as well as improving lav hygiene, the ambiance and overall freshness will be noticeably enhanced. So, overall, Airbus is set to significantly raise the bar on the passengers’ experience of using an in-flight lav.”
Boeing has filed a patent for the concept, which it said can minimize the growth and potential transmission of microorganisms. The sanitizing even helps rid a lavatory of odors.
It also operates without being touched. The cleaning system would lift and close the toilet seat by itself so that all surfaces are exposed during the cleaning cycle, Boeing said.
Other perks for those worried about germs: A hands-free faucet, soap dispenser, trash flap, toilet lid and hand dryer.
The planemaker is also studying a hands-free door latch and vacuum vent system for floor spillage.
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