Women’s Handbags Contain More Bacteria Than The Average Toilet

Women’s handbags are contaminated with more
bacteria than the average toilet, a new study
has revealed.
Tests showed that one in five handbag handles
is home to sufficient bacteria to pose a risk
to human health.
The research also revealed that the dirtiest
item in the average handbag is hand cream –
bottles of hand cream were found to carry
more bacteria than the average toilet seat.
Lipstick and mascara packets were found to be
little better.
The tests, carried out by Initial Washroom
Hygiene, also revealed that leather handbags
are the most bacteria-riddled as the spongy
texture provides the perfect conditions for
bacteria to grow and spread.
The researchers suggest that women should
regularly clean their hands and bags with
antibacterial wipes or gel to prevent cross-
contamination.
Peter Barratt, Technical Manager at Initial
Hygiene, said: ‘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.
‘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.’
The research comes after another study
revealed that workplace kitchens are
dangerously dirty, to the point that they could
cause illness.
The study, also carried out by Initial
Washroom Hygeine, revealed that half of
surfaces in workplace kitchens are
contaminated by dangerously high levels of
coliforms – the bacteria present in faeces
which can lead to outbreaks of
gastrointestinal disease.
It also showed that more than a quarter of
draining boards were found to have four times
the safe level of coliforms.
The research also revealed that the handles
of shared fridge-freezers were bacteria-rife,
with a third carrying high levels of coliforms,
whilst 30 per cent of shared microwaves were
also shown to be contaminated around the
handles and buttons.

...NICE RESEARCH MY CHAIRMAN...