Tech: Flight attendants reveal the least disgusting thing you can order on an airplane

One flight attendant told Business Insider that soda cans on planes are sometimes cleaner than those sold in stores.

• Flight attendants have said they stay away from non-bottled water on airplanes and drinks that use it, like coffee and tea, because the water can be stored in dirty tanks.
• While an anonymous flight attendant told a Business Insider editor that soda cans on airplanes tend to be dirty, other flight attendants Business Insider contacted denied that rumor.
• One even said soda cans on airplanes can be cleaner than those found in stores.

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It's an open secret that non-bottled water on airplanes can be of questionable quality.

The water is at risk for contamination because it's moved between storage devices and is stored in tanks that are not always cleaned regularly. Flight attendants have said they stay away from non-bottled water and drinks that use it, like coffee and tea. Because food tastes worse at higher altitudes, that doesn't seem to be a good option either.

An anonymous flight attendant even told a Business Insider editor that soda cans on airplanes tend to be dirty.

That rumor, however, was contested by other flight attendants we contacted.

"The only time I have seen dirty cans is if an open can spills into the tray and gets all the other cans sticky," a flight attendant for multiple airlines told Business Insider.

"Honestly I don’t feel like they are any dirtier then the ones you would purchase in the grocery store," another wrote.

In fact, one flight attendant with over 30 years of experience said soda cans on airplanes can be cleaner than those found in stores.

"They are actually cleaner than some that I have seen sold in stores," the flight attendant wrote. "Occasionally, there will be a sticky or messy soda can from a can that gets crushed in a soda drawer but as a general rule of thumb, they are very clean."

So if you're looking for a caffeine fix the next time you fly, stay away from coffee and choose soda instead.

One flight attendant told Business Insider that soda cans on planes are sometimes cleaner than those sold in stores. Read Full Story