Research carried out by Initial Washroom Hygiene has revealed that women’s handbags are likely to be contaminated with more bacteria than the average toilet.

The study also pinpointed the dirtiest item in handbags is hand cream – bottles of hand cream were found to carry more bacteria than the average toilet seat.  Leather hand bags are most at risk of containing unhygienic levels of bacteria as the spongy fabric is good growing ground.

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 … 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.”