Via iStockphoto / @melanielcheng TikTok
A Texas woman saw something on her reusable blanket that made her question whether it was washed. Here's what experts generally say.
A Texas woman took a long-haul flight, only to find something unsettling on her provided blanket. It wasn’t something horrifying or genuinely disruptive. Rather, it was a proof of life that led her to ask whether someone used the blanket before she did.
Melanie Cheng (@melanielcheng) took an international trip to London. While onboard an aircraft, she noticed a small Peppa Pig sticker stuck to the blanket, which made her believe someone else had used it. She recorded the moment and posted it online. The post subsequently received more than 418,000 views.
Cheng asked a simple question in her video’s description: “[Flight] attendants, tell me the truth. [Do] airlines clean the blankets and pillows after every flight?”
Theories About The Peppa Sticker Run Wild
In the comment section, viewers tried to wrap their heads around the Peppa Pig sticker and whether its presence meant the blanket wasn’t washed.
A few viewers tried to explain its appearance.
One commenter said, “It’s more likely the sticker was stuck somewhere [you] didn’t see and the blanket just picked it up.”
But some viewers jumped straight to an answer.
“I’m genuinely baffled that there are people that think they get cleaned,” one commenter added.
Another said, “As a former flight attendant, make sure you shower before you touch anything when you get to your destination.”
Do Airlines Reuse Blankets And Pillows?
A few of Cheng’s viewers previously lived their lives under the assumption that most airlines disposed of every blanket and pillowcase onboard after flights. But according to a 2019 survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), around 63% of airlines reuse blankets after laundering and cleaning. It’s no question, then, that a majority of airlines have reusable blankets and pillowcases.
That leads to another question: Are they clean?
The Cleanliness Standard, According To Experts
Many passengers claim that they’ve found less-than-clean smears on their blankets, such as feces and vomit. But many airlines regularly state that they properly clean and vet reusable blankets and pillowcases before introducing them on flights.
Previously, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson told BroBible that the airline cleans its blankets and pillowcases after every use. The spokesperson also indicated that customers can request a replacement blanket on any given flight. According to Thrillist, other airlines, such as JetBlue and United Airlines, have similar policies.
An article from Reader’s Digest, however, which attributes its sourcing to flight attendant Cecily Anderson, says that some blankets are reused by certain airlines. Reuse depends on “the flight, the time of day and your seat location in the social hierarchy of the plane,” Anderson says. According to her, the first flight of the day will almost always have freshly laundered blankets. Depending on the airline and class, passengers may not get new, sealed blankets later on.
“If your blanket isn’t wrapped in plastic, it’s pretty safe to say it wasn’t washed,” she says.
Regardless, airlines send reusable blankets and pillowcases for cleaning after most routine legs. The same applies for international airlines, which reportedly send their blankets and pillowcases to an industrial facility after every long-haul flight.
@melanielcheng flight attendants, tell me the truth. do airlines clean the blankets and pillows after every flight? 😳
BroBible reached out to Cheng via TikTok direct message for comment.