• 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.

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.

Read more: DailyMail