You’ve heard about how grimy your keyboard and cellphone can get over time, but what about that other thing you touch a million times a day, from the second you walk out the door to when you get home at night? Turns out your handbag could be the germiest thing you’ll touch today—germier, even, than your office toilet.
A recent study by British company Initial Washroom Hygiene found that handbags are SERIOUS hot spots for disease-causing microbes. They looked at items from 25 handbags and compared it to research on workstations, keyboards, mouses, and workplace restrooms. The results are enough to make you stash last year’s hobo for the time being: the average handbag was three times dirtier than office toilet seats, and the dirtiest handbags (read: the giant one you carry about a week’s worth of stuff in and just can’t seem to throw away, because it just goes with everything) were 10 times dirtier.
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The very worst culprit? Your bag’s handles, of course. You touch them all day long, often without washing your hands in between, and then touch your face, where germs can cross-contaminate. Of the items inside your bag, hand and face cream is the dirtiest. “If you touch that dirty cream in your bag and then rub it all over your hands or face without washing your hands first, you’re spreading bacteria all over the place without realizing it,” says Initial spokesperson Peter Barratt. Look for creams that come in tubes or pumps rather than jars—the less the cream touches your fingers, the less dirty they’ll get. Other extra-dirty items in your bag included lipstick and lip gloss, and mascara was among the least bacteria-laden items inspected.
The most obvious solution to keep outside bacteria from traveling to your bag is to keep your hands clean—this is where replacing that empty bottle of hand sanitizer comes in. A clean purse is just as important. Clear out the old junk when you’re done with it and wipe it down every few months with a disinfecting wipe (inside AND out). Don’t worry, we’re not saying you need to throw out your beloved, beat-up bag just yet—although, on second thought, maybe its dirtiness is the perfect excuse for an upgrade.
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Amanda First is an editorial assistant at Prevention, focusing on health, beauty, and lifestyle content. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in English.
