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There's not much worse than cramming yourself into a bathroom the size of a cardboard box to relieve yourself 30,000 feet in the air while trying not to touch every germ-ridden surface.
Boeing is working to make situations like this less disgusting for passengers.
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Engineers with the aircraft manufacturer have found a way to use ultraviolet light to disinfect every surface of these tiny bathrooms in only three seconds, the Napa Valley Register reported.
Boeing has filed a patent for the self-cleaning lavatory that would disinfect between each use, according to the Register.
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Boeing will use Far UV, which it claims is not harmful to people like the UV waves used in tanning beds, the Register said.
These high-tech lavatories will also cut down on the number of surfaces passengers need to touch by including hands-free faucets, soap dispensers, trash flaps, toilet lids and seats, as well as hand dryers, the Register reported.
Travelers won't see these fancy new bathrooms on flights anytime soon, though. Boeing said it is still perfecting the idea, the Register said.
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