Boeing engineers have developed a self-cleaning lavatory prototype that uses far ultraviolet (UV) light to kill 99.99% of germs. The cleaning system can disinfect all surfaces after every use in just three seconds.

According to Boeing, far UV light (wavelengths between 90.5 and 119.5 nanometers) is different from the UVA or UVB light used in tanning beds and is not harmful to people. In any case, the lavatory's far UV light is activated only when the lavatory is unoccupied.

The cleaning system can disinfect all surfaces after every use in just three seconds. Image credit: Boeing. "We're trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight," says Jeanne Yu, Boeing's commercial airplanes director of environmental performance. "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 engineers say they have demonstrated, through testing of the prototype, that the technology can minimize the growth and potential transmission of micro-organisms. The company has filed for a patent on the concept.

Boeing says the cleaning system, which will require further study before it can be offered to airlines, also incorporates various touchless features, such as a toilet seat that opens and closes by itself so that all surfaces are exposed during the cleaning cycle; a hands-free faucet; soap dispenser; trash flap; and hand dryer. A hands-free door latch and a vacuum vent system for the floor are also under study.