From Philadelphia to Salt Lake City and Minneapolis to Denver, I’ve lived in some very cold places. (Minneapolis was by far the coldest, and I know this because it froze the snot inside my nose—I’m not joking.) So I take my winter gear seriously. Priority No. 1: a really good coat. It needs to be long, heavily insulated, hooded and armed with zippers so airtight you could use them in space.
The problem? Great coats are bulky, and once you step into the climate-controlled miracle that is an airplane cabin, they instantly become a nuisance. So what do you do with your puffer coat when boarding a plane?
As it turns out, there’s a very wrong answer, and it is one of the most common mistakes passengers make during winter travel. I recently learned this fact while chatting with Loretta Hill, a flight attendant friend who’s been flying with JetBlue for more than a decade. “You’re not the only one confused. Big coats are a problem every winter,” Hill says. And as any seasoned traveler knows, cabin-storage Tetris is already a high-stakes game. “People are very weird about their stuff. They want it where they want it, and they get upset if anyone else touches it,” she says.
Thankfully, Hill—along with fellow flight attendant Emilia Ryan—walked me through exactly where not to put your coat. I also spoke with microbiologist Jason Tetro, author of The Germ Code and The Germ Files, about why this seemingly harmless storage choice can turn your jacket into a germ landmine. “One of the primary rules of microbiology is ‘do not lick,'” Tetro begins—an unsettling reminder that will become relevant shortly.
Read on to find out where you should never stash your coat on a plane, why flight attendants cringe when passengers do it and what to do instead. (No, the answer is not “build a pillow fort with your fellow passengers,” though in economy seating, it’s tempting.)
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Where should you avoid storing your coat during a flight?
The overhead bin. Yep, that seemingly innocent storage compartment above your head—and likely the first place you think of stashing your coat—is a surprisingly disgusting destination for your outerwear.
“Those overhead bins can get pretty dirty,” Ryan says. And when someone who has seen everything on an airplane tells you something is dirty, you’d better believe them. “Mostly because anything that comes in on the wheels of a suitcase ends up there, along with the occasional exploded bottle of lotion.”
She adds that overhead bins aren’t on the routine cleaning list, so unless a flight attendant witnesses something truly nasty in real time, they usually don’t get hit with the bleach spray.
But beyond the ick factor, there’s another reason flight attendants give this habit the side-eye: It takes up precious luggage space and slows down boarding. Hill says that big coats in the overhead bins make other passengers think the compartment is full, even when there’s plenty of room for actual carry-on bags. “We announce that they should wait till the end of boarding to put their coats up, but they usually have to be told several times, and oftentimes people will still push back against this,” she says.
How gross is this?
On a scale of “napkin on the floor” to “public toilet seats in a nightclub,” let’s just say you wouldn’t want to lick it. (Remember that rule? And oh, there’s more …)
Think about what goes into those overhead bins: rolling suitcases that have been dragged across airport floors, train stations, taxi trunks and, yes, public bathroom floors. Did you know that suitcase wheels are 58 times dirtier than a toilet seat, according to recent research? Those wheels have picked up everything from dirt to dog poop to whatever mystery substance is on the airport carpet. And all that ends up in the same space where you just plopped your coat—the coat that will later be pressed against your neck and face.
“Unlike most places in the airplane, the overhead locker does not usually experience much human contact because we tend to shove things in them, not crawl into them,” Tetro explains. “However, the luggage that’s shoved in there will come with its own bacteria due to contact with all sorts of surfaces. Expect names like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus and maybe the odd yeast.”
Can you actually get sick from this? While the risk isn’t enormous, it’s worth noting that cold and flu viruses can survive on fabric for hours, and bacteria can hang around even longer. “Because the surfaces are solid and it’s quite dry up there, they won’t live for very long, but perhaps long enough to withstand the flight,” Tetro says.
And this is where his previous advice about licking gets put into context. “One of the primary rules of microbiology is ‘do not lick,’ so think of where your mouth will be in relation to anything you put into the overhead bin,” he explains. “If the likelihood is that the items will not come into contact with your mouth, then there’s not much to worry about.”
Your roller bag is fine because you’re not licking it. Unfortunately for your coat, it does come into contact with your face and likely your mouth.
As for whether some coats are worse than others, material definitely matters. A smooth, wipeable fabric will pick up fewer germs than a fuzzy fleece or a textured wool, which can trap particles and bacteria in the fibers.
How frequently do those overhead bins get cleaned?
“Um, not very often,” Ryan says. “I’ve never seen anyone clean the bins, much less sanitize them.”
While airlines do clean their planes between flights, the overhead bins are not exactly getting the white-glove treatment. According to industry standards, the most comprehensive cleaning of an aircraft—including actually washing overhead bins—typically occurs only every 30 to 45 days. Between flights, crews focus on visible trash removal, wiping down tray tables and tidying lavatories. The inside of the overhead bin? Not a priority.
And remember, a single plane might fly multiple routes per day, with hundreds of passengers storing their dirty luggage in those compartments between deep cleans. That’s a lot of accumulated grime.
So where should you put your coat?
Don’t worry, you have several better options that won’t gross out flight attendants or expose your outerwear to the germs of a thousand travelers.
- Stuff it in your carry-on. If you have any extra room in your suitcase, put your coat inside before shoving your bag in the overhead bin. Hill says that passengers often don’t realize “there’s lots of room under the seat in front of them for their carry-ons,” which means your personal item could go below while your coat-stuffed bag goes above.
- Put it in a bag under the seat. Fold your coat neatly and place it in a clean tote bag or reusable shopping bag, then stow it beneath the seat in front of you. This keeps it off dirty floors and away from contaminated bin surfaces. (Some coats even come with their own packable bag or pocket.)
- Use it as a blanket. Airplanes are notoriously cold, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Spread your coat across your lap for extra warmth during the flight. Besides, those thin airline blankets (if you’re even offered one) aren’t always freshly laundered. This is my personal solution.
- Place it behind your lower back. Folding your coat and tucking it between your back and the seat provides lumbar support while keeping your coat clean and accessible.
- Ask about the coat closet. First- and business-class passengers often have access to small closets near the front of the plane, where flight attendants can hang coats, Ryan says. Some domestic flights offer this service to all passengers if space allows—just ask nicely!
- Put it on top of your own bag. If you must use the overhead bin, wait until everyone has found a spot for their bags and then place your coat on top of your own carry-on rather than directly on the bin floor. This creates a barrier between your outerwear and any germs that have accumulated from other passengers’ luggage. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than the alternative.
One place to definitely avoid: the floor in front of your seat. Airplane carpets are even dirtier than the bins, having been walked on by thousands of shoes fresh from airport bathrooms.
What should you do if you’ve stored your coat improperly on a flight?
Oops! You’ve already tossed your coat in the overhead bin, and now you’re spending the flight imagining millions of microbes making themselves at home. Don’t panic. But do take some precautions going forward.
Tetro suggests a simple solution: “Keep the coat folded with the insides and the hood kept within the folds. Then, when you’re safe and sound at your destination, make sure to hang it overnight to allow anything that might have been transferred to the outside to die off.”
If you want to be extra cautious, give your coat a once-over with a fabric-safe disinfectant spray when you reach your destination, or pop it in the dryer on high heat for 10 to 15 minutes if the fabric allows. And definitely wash your hands after handling it before touching your face—that’s just good travel hygiene anyway.
Your winter coat has enough enemies (slush puddles, subway poles, that mysterious wet spot on the park bench) without adding airplane overhead bin germs to the mix. A little planning goes a long way toward keeping your outerwear—and yourself—healthier this travel season.
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Sources:
- Jason Tetro, microbiologist, author of The Germ Code and The Germ Files, and host of the Super Awesome Science Show podcast; phone interview, Dec. 15, 2025
- Loretta Hill, JetBlue flight attendant; phone interview, Dec. 13, 2025
- Emilia Ryan, flight attendant; in-person interview, Dec. 15, 2025
The post Here’s the Surprisingly Gross Spot You Should Never Put Your Coat, According to Flight Attendants appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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