It’s every woman’s best friend but honestly? You might want to bust out the Dettol and about fifty packets of antibacterial wipes because your handbag is a breeding ground for bacteria.
In fact, a new study carried out by Initial Washroom Hygiene, has found that the average handbag contains more bacteria than an actual toilet. Gross, right? We’re edging away from our own bags as we speak…
Anyway, researchers conducted tests and found that one in five handbag handles is home to a host of bacteria that can pose a major risk to human health. And just in case you were wondering, the dirtiest item in a handbag is usually hand cream (closely followed by tubes of lipstick and mascara).
The tests found that leather handbags tend to be home to the most bacteria because the texture provides the exact conditions needed to allow it to grow and spread.
Leather is the worst offender when it comes to bacteria breeding
So how can you stop your handbag from becoming a health hazard? The researchers say that women should regularly clean their bags with antibacterial wipes to prevent cross-contamination.
“Handbags come into regular contact with our hands and a variety of surfaces, so the risk of transferring different germs onto them is very high, especially as bags are rarely cleaned,” said Peter Barratt from Initial Hygiene.
“Once these germs are on the bags, they can easily be transferred via hands onto other surfaces. Regular hand sanitisation is essential to prevent the presence of bacteria in the first place and thorough cleaning of bags is recommended to prevent the build up of contamination,” he added.
