Self-cleaning airplane bathroom

We all know there are plenty of terrible things about flying.

From security, to tiny seats, to bad Wi-Fi, to delays on the runway, there are plenty of things to hate..

But maybe the worst part is that when you have to go to the bathroom, your only option is to go lock yourself in the fetid germ closet for a while. Maybe not for too much longer though, if Boeing’s wonderful self-cleaning lavatory catches on.

The simple premise comes in two parts. The first—and one that’s already in place in a lot of public restrooms on the ground and in the air—is to keep you from having to touch anything. Everything in Boeing’s self-cleaning bathroom is hands free. Wave at a sensor to lift the toilet seat, step on a pedal to open the garbage, hold your hand up to flush. The only thing you have to touch is the door, and Boeing is even toying with the possibility of a hands-free one.

Of course if you do touch something, you should be OK. The self-cleaning lavatory’s other main feature is that when the door is closed and it doesn’t detect anyone inside, the water closet blasts itself with UV light that Boeing says will kill 99.99 percent of germs. The toilet cover even automatically pops up to make sure all that gets cleaned too.

Between those two features, you can feel reasonably at peace knowing that the place is clean, and the lack of an after-trip cold will go a long way towards making your flight a little more enjoyable.

Source: Boeing via CNET