Girl’s purses are housing grim germs which could be making us ill

Dangerous bacteria breeding in your purse could be making you ill, according to a new study.

Almost all of girls’ purses are full of germs and are even dirtier than boys’ wallets.

Researchers claim your purse is becoming infested with bacteria from kitchen surfaces and bathrooms, as nobody thinks to clean them.

Researchers from the University of Mauritius tested purses as well as wallets and discovered that boys are cleaner.

They said 95 per cent of women’s purses contained dangerous bacteria, and only 2 per cent bother to clean them on a monthly basis.

Over 80 per cent of women never even emptied their purse at all.

A bacteria paradise, apparently

Leather purses were found to have less bacteria than purses made of synthetic materials as the bacteria has a harder time nesting into the smoother fabric.

The researchers said: “Purses from both men and women are potential vectors for transmission of diseases.

“Bacteria growth was higher on the purses of women than those of men.”

But don’t start deep cleaning your purse just yet.

Home hygienist expert Dr Lisa Ackerley told The Tab: “Obviously there is a risk of bacteria and virus contamination from money and dirty hands but I would say it’s not worth getting too obsessive about it.

“The most important thing really to protect your health is to remember to wash your hands before eating and snacking – otherwise you could be licking salt and bacteria off your fingers.

“Your hands and purse or wallet will always get dirty. It’s just making sure you don’t get those bacteria in your mouth – hand washing or alternatives are the key.”

Not as hygienic as she looks

Another study from 2013 found that women’s handbags have more bacteria than the average toilet- with hand cream bottles the worst collectors of harmful germs.

Peter Barratt, Technical Manager at Initial Hygiene who led the study two years ago, 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.”