The dirtiest item in average handbag is hand cream – it carries more bacteria than the average toilet seat. Leather handbags carry the most bacteria because the spongy texture provides ‘perfect growing conditions.’ Women should wash hands regularly and use antibacterial wipes to clean their bag and its contents. 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.
The study found that one in five handbag handles is home to enough bacteria to pose a risk to human health. 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 researchers suggest that women should regularly clean their hands and bags with antibacterial wipes or gel to prevent cross-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.
Common sense is indeed not common.
Posted: at 14-05-2013 05:07 PM (11 years ago) | Hero
dickman2 at 14-05-2013 05:55 PM (11 years ago) (m)
ok ..
Posted: at 14-05-2013 05:55 PM (11 years ago) | Addicted Hero
jossy4reall at 14-05-2013 06:33 PM (11 years ago) (m)
dis researcher no get work at all.., and he no even knw hw to research sef......so na women hand bag he dey research......I wonder why he no see pad, tissue paper, razor blade, eye pencil, eye shadow and paint box...even CD he no see in the handbag....I can research beta dan dis research...so tell him to find anoda work or beta make him go research another thing.....Lazy Researcher
Love or Hate me its ur Biz, I have more important things to think abt since u never gonna change me
Posted: at 14-05-2013 06:33 PM (11 years ago) | Hero
@ mr. Poster, next tym ur carryin out a research in dis vein, plz dnt fail 2 notify me cos im ever dyin 2 render my support(material and odawiz). Nix research. Hahaha
Posted: at 14-05-2013 07:27 PM (11 years ago) | Upcoming