Boeing Introduces ‘Self-Cleaning’ Bathrooms On Airplanes — How Do These Autonomous Germ-Killing Toilets Work?

Boeing introduced a new prototype of “self-cleaning” bathrooms on airplanes. The aircraft manufacturer promises a toilet that’s 99.9 percent free of germs.

Apparently, the self-cleaning lavatory prototype uses strategically placed ultraviolet (UV) light that bathes the toilets in UV rays that are commonly used to kill harmful microbes and germs. The self-cleaning aspect is essentially a clever automated sequence that the bathroom will undergo after every use. The UV rays are expected to effectively disinfect all surfaces after every use in just three seconds, reported Engineering and Technology Magazine.

It is an undeniable fact that many people are petrified to use a lavatory while in the air. Besides the claustrophobia that easily sets in as one enters the painfully cramped premises, the place can be a hotbed for germs just waiting to attack. Although airplane manufacturers like Boeing take utmost care to ensure that the toilets remain clean by tweaking design, passengers often complain about unhygienic users who invariably leave the lavatory in an unsanitary state.

Goodbye germs! See how our new self-cleaning lavatory works: https://t.co/SioDW1Q5rS #Boeing #Innovation pic.twitter.com/Z8mccDwuJT

— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) March 3, 2016

Understanding that you simply cannot force people to keep the bathrooms clean and spotless while the plane is hurtling through the sky at 30,000 feet above the earth’s surface, Boeing has relied on technology and automation to offer a disinfected toilet. The toilet doesn’t appear much different from standard lavatories aboard a plane. Interestingly, its usage doesn’t vary too. All the “self-cleaning” happens after an occupant has left the toilet, shared Jeanne Yu, Boeing’s director of environmental performance.

“The lights are positioned throughout the lavatory to flood the touch surfaces like the toilet seat, sink and countertops with the UV light once a person exits the lavatory. This sanitizing even helps eliminate odors. We’re trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight.”

Knowing well that people are equally scared of UV lights as much as they are of germs, Boeing doesn’t use ordinary UV lights that can cause skin cancer. Instead, the company has opted for “Far UV” light, which has been deemed completely harmless to humans but is effective for disinfection purposes. Far UV differs from the UVA or UVB light used in tanning beds and is not harmful to people. Boeing tested these lights and realized that Far UV significantly minimizes the growth and potential transmission of micro-organisms. The UV light kills bacteria and pathogens, which might stay lingering long after the occupant has left the toilet, shared Jamie Childress, an associate technical fellow and a BR&T engineer.

“The UV light destroys all known microbes by literally making them explode. It matches the resonant frequency of the molecular bonds on the outside of the microbes.”

How does the self-cleaning work? Through the power of automation, the toilets are aware when they are occupied. Once the user has left, Boeing’s new bathroom design features a toilet seat that opens and closes automatically to expose all surfaces during the cleaning cycle, reported CNN. Besides the toilet seat, germs can easily hide on any exposed surface like the hands-free faucet, soap dispenser, trash can, hand dryer, toilet lid, and seat. The UV lights are intelligently placed around the bathroom to ensure that all surfaces are bathed in its eerie blue glow.

These UV rays been shown to significantly minimize the growth and transmission potential of micro-organisms, reported La-Kabylie. The other innovations include a “hands-free door latch, tap, soap dispenser, toilet lid and seat, a hand dryer as well as a rubbish flap, and a vacuum vent system for the floor, are also under study, all to keep the lavatory as hygienic as possible,” said Boeing. Apart from killing the microbes, the sanitization process also helps in eliminating offensive odors.

Yu continued, “In the prototype, we position the lights throughout the lavatory so that it floods the touch surfaces like the toilet seat, sink and countertops with the UV light once a person exits the lavatory. This sanitizing even helps eliminate odors.”

Boeing has already filed for a patent on the “clean lavatory” concept. Recognizing the innovative concept, which could easily revolutionize the bathrooms onboard commercial jetliners, the idea has been nominated for a Crystal Cabin Award, an industry prize.

[Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images]