Guest Author - Vicky Talbot

Very few of us leave the house without one on our shoulder, clutched in our hand or slung over our shoulder. Whether you have a penchant for totes, a devilish desire for all bags designer, or simply use one to carry your groceries in, we all use bags on a daily basis and most of us feel naked without one.

Many of us won’t, however, have spared a thought for where we hang them, place them or store them throughout the day. When they aren’t placed somewhere safe we take our treasured bags and purses everywhere with us – good for security, not so good for handbag hygiene.

In recent, not-so-glam fashion news it’s been revealed by scientists that our handbags are far from healthy. When swabbed inside and out microbiologists located a whole manner of nasty germs and bugs that live on our handbags which, in turn, could lead to various infections and illness. Bacteria found included pseudomonas (which can cause eye infections), E-coli and Bacillus cereus (causing serious intestinal problems) and influenza viruses (causing flu).

Without realising it, we expose our bags to millions of bacteria on a daily basis. Ever plonked your bag on the floor of a public loo? Ever stored your bag on the floor under your desk? Ever placed your bag on the kitchen work tops when you get in from work? If you’re guilty of any of these, it’s likely you’ll have passed on harmful bacteria which can easily be transferred to you and those around you causing anything from herpes to hepatitis.

Old habits can be tough to break but by following these tips you can lower your risk of catching a bad bag bug:

- Leather bags attract fewer germs than fabric varieties so be sure to wash your favourite fabric ones regularly. If the material allows it, wash them on a hot wash to be sure of killing off harmful bacteria such as salmonella. To protect leather bags, use an antibacterial wipe or spray to clean the exterior then finish off with a leather cream polished off with a cloth. Do this once a week to keep bags bug free.

- Don’t put your bags on the floor of public bathrooms! Most toilet doors have a hook for bags – use them. You can buy small handbag hooks that easily slip over the top of bathroom doors and even onto to tables so you can avoid storing them on dirty floors.

- Never put your bag down on a kitchen surface, dining table or anywhere where food may be prepared or consumed. Many a tummy bug can originate from poor hygiene transferred from a germ-ridden handbag. E-coli and salmonella are frequently found on bags so get used to putting yours away in your wardrobe away from the kitchen when you get home from work.

- Buy some antibacterial wipes – they’re readily available in supermarkets and an affordable way to not only clean you bags, but also the contents of your bag. Mobile phones, make-up, combs and travel passes can all harbour germs that are quickly zapped with a wipe from one of these.

- It’s almost impossible to avoid all bugs that enter your bag – money, used handkerchiefs and lipsticks that live in your bag can all carry bacteria. Minimise your chances of coming across the more harmful strains by washing hands regularly with soap and warm water and keep a small tube of antibacterial hand wash in your bag to use when you can’t get to a sink.