Boeing cleans up

Recent studies have proven that the airline bathroom is one of the most germ-filled places on an airplane.  In an effort to innovate and combat one of the main problems faced by fliers, Boeing has introduced something unusual and possibly quite exciting:  the airplane bathroom that cleans itself!

The solution uses a type of ultraviolet light to kill pathogens in the bathroom. Here are more details from a Boeing press release:

The lavatory uses far UV light, which is different from the ultraviolet A or ultraviolet B light used in tanning beds or grow lights, so it’s not harmful to humans. It is harmful to bacteria and pathogens and kills those organisms that are left on the surfaces of the lavatory.

“The UV light destroys all known microbes by literally making them explode,” said Jamie Childress, Associate Technical Fellow and a BR&T engineer. “It matches the resonant frequency of the molecular bonds on the outside of the microbes.”

“We believe that using the far UV is the key to making those surfaces cleaner,” King said. “We position the lights throughout the lavatory so that it floods the touch surfaces like the toilet seat, sink, countertops, etc. with the UV light. This sanitizing even eliminates odors from bacteria so that passengers can have a more pleasant experience.”

The UV lights could clean the lavatory during flight when the door is closed and the lavatory is unoccupied to minimize human exposure to the light as an extra precaution. The cleaning system even lifts and closes the toilet seat by itself so that all surfaces are exposed. The cleaning cycle takes less than three seconds.

The team’s design also incorporates hands-free faucets, a soap dispenser, trash flap, the toilet lid and seat, as well as a hand dryer to reduce the waste of paper towels. The team also is studying a hands-free door latch and a vacuum-vent system for the floor, all to keep the lavatory as hygienic as possible between scheduled cleanings.

According to Bloomberg News, this could also have significant cost savings for the airlines:

Boeing’s concept is a finalist for a Crystal Cabin Award that will be announced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, on April 5.

The potential benefits aren’t just in the bathroom. The self-cleaning concept could also help airlines save money on costly repairs, Mann said.

Toilets “are notoriously difficult to keep maintained to high standards, which shows up as odors that cannot be controlled and eventually, corrosion to structures adjoining the lav module,” such as floor beams and fuselage stringers, Mann said. “It really would be a maintenance cost savings, too.”

Personally, the concept of a touchless, sanitary airline bathroom sounds like a winner to me!

Here is the link to the Boeing press release:     Boeing: The Airplane Bathroom That Cleans Itself 

Here is the link to the Bloomberg article:     Boeing's New Self-Cleaning Toilet Is a Germophobe's Delight - Bloomberg Business