The fight against germs: Boeing introduces self-cleaning bathroom

We have driverless cars, but when is someone going to give us hands-free and self-cleaning bathrooms?

That technology is in the works.

Boeing has designed and is testing a hands-free bathroom. Everything from the door to the sink is completely hands-free.

Related: Boeing debuts first 737 MAX 8

But that is just the start. Boeing wants the bathroom to clean itself. The self-cleaning unit uses ultraviolet light to scour every surface after each visit.

During the self-cleaning process, the bathroom door automatically locks. So how does UV light kill bacteria and germs?

“This U-V light matches the frequency of that microbe and causes it to explode,” Boeing spokesperson Bret Jensen explained.

Usually, an explosion on an airplane is not a good thing, but Jensen says there is nothing to worry about.

“At a microscopic level I think you’re going to be safe,” he said.

It takes just three seconds to kill any germs left behind. Jensen says the goal is to make bathroom visits more comfortable for passengers.

“We really we wanted to take some technology… and really see if we could make it work and really improve the cabin experience for passengers,” he said.

Boeing has applied for patents for its self-cleaning and hands-free bathroom, but it will likely be a while before you will see one in the air.

“Right now we’re just testing the concept to see if it works,” Jensen said.

Boeing will continue to flush out the idea and prepare it for commercial use.

Boeing already has some touch-less features on its current commercial planes, but nothing like this prototype.

The one thing this smart bathroom doesn’t have is more room. It’s built in the same footprint of a standard airplane bathroom.

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