Boeing introduces the self-cleaning airplane bathroom
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has developed technology for a self-cleaning bathroom.
The lavatory would use ultraviolet (UV) light to clean all the surfaces -- no hand sanitizer or travel wipes required.
The system still needs further testing before airlines can place orders for the technology on new aircraft, Boeing says. But the future is looking touchless.
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"We're trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight," Jeanne Yu, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Director of Environmental Performance, said in a statement.
In order to completely sanitize an airplane lavatory using UV light, Boeing has to position lights so that every surface that could be contaminated — the toilet seat, the sink, the countertop — is illuminated. UV light can kill 99.99% of germs, and would be active between bathroom uses.
The prototype bathroom incorporates some technology that Boeing has already introduced on aircraft, like a hands-free faucet and soap dispenser.
The company is also looking at developing a hands-free door latch and a floor vacuum.
The self-cleaning lavatory would not completely replace the old-fashioned scrub-down: Boeing's technology would just be for the in-flight messes, to make the bathroom experience more pleasurable even on a longer flight where lots of people need to use it.
"This sanitizing even helps eliminate odors," Yu said.
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