Is Your Purse Making You Sick? By Elizabeth Shimer Bowers | Medically reviewed by Niya Jones MD, MPH

You carry your purse everywhere and plop it down on your desk or kitchen floor without a thought. Find out how to protect your health from this overloaded germ magnet.

Women almost never go anywhere without their purses. We take them to work, to dinner, to bars, to other people's homes — even to the bathroom — and we often put them down on the floor or counter without even thinking twice about it. They’re extensions of our very selves, home to everything from our wallets to our phones to our makeup to our kids’ snacks, toys, and extra clothes. (Mary Poppins had nothing on today’s working moms.)

Our purses are our lifelines — but given where they’ve been and what they contain, they can also be disaster zones for women’s health.

The Problem: Bacteria Buildup

We hate to break it to you, but if you’re carrying your beloved bag from the gym locker room to a parent-teacher meeting to the floor of a public restaurant, you may as well be carrying around a petri dish of bacteria. One ABC News investigation revealed that most purses contain tens of thousands of germs. Half of the bags tested in the experiment were positive for coliform bacteria, indicating the possible presence of human or animal waste .

How can this happen? Think about it — women place their purses in public bathrooms, including on floors where bodily fluids may spill; on public transportation, such as bus and train floors; and on fast-food counters, floors, and chairs, all of which contain potentially harmful germs, notes Deepti Chauhan, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill. “Public bathroom floors are the worst offender for creating dirty purses,” she adds.

The germs most likely to live on your purse? “Primarily bacteria, including staph and E. coli species, which can result in infections,” says Susan Stuart, MD, a dermatologist at La Jolla Dermatology in California. Fungus and mold can also live on purses.

And it’s not just the outside that’s dirty, says Carol Weingarten, PhD, RN, an associate professor at the Villanova University College of Nursing in Pennsylvania. “Cell phones, wallets, eyeglasses, tissues — sometimes used — business cards, pens, makeup, credit cards, and money are all sources of germs,” she explains.

The Solution: Practice Good Purse Hygiene

Keep your purse out of bacteria danger zones. “The most important thing a woman can do to keep her purse as germ-free as possible is to avoid placing the bag in high-risk areas, especially bathroom counters, floors, and toilet seats,” Dr. Stuart advises. “It is best to not even take purses into these places, if at all possible.”

Clean a dirty purse. “Much like any frequently carried item, be it a child’s much-loved blanket, a student’s backpack, or a work briefcase, a purse should be cleaned when visibly dirty,” says Dr. Chauhan.

Stuart recommends wiping it down even more often than that. She suggests carefully cleaning the surface of it daily with a cloth or moist disposable towel.

Make sure to regularly clean the items inside your purse as well. “Keep tissues in a tightly closed bag, use your own pen, especially when signing credit card receipts, and use hand sanitizer,” Weingarten says.

Choose a purse made of germ-fighting materials. “Cotton and wool fabrics tend to hold on to bacteria more than leather, suede, and plastic,” explains Stuart.

Practice good overall hygiene. Although dirty purses can transmit bacteria and other germs, by no means are they solely to blame. “It is most important to wash your hands frequently, as that is how most germs are transmitted and cause the most infection,” Chauhan says.

The Problem: Back Pain

Aside from the toll that bacteria from dirty purses can take on women’s health, weighty purses can also get in the way of smart body mechanics.

“A heavy purse or bag can cause back pain and shoulder pain and impact a woman’s posture,” notes Kristy Root, DC, a chiropractic physician at Performance Spine & Sports Medicine in Newtown, Pa. “Your spine actually curves toward the shoulder you carry your purse on, which results in the inability to move your arms and legs in their natural motion. Over time, this creates other physiological problems with your upper and lower body.”

Wellington Hsu, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, says he’s had a number of patients with neck and shoulder pain that correlated with the weight of their handbags. “Most of the time, patients complain of a pulling sensation in the shoulder and related intrascapular pain,” he says.

The Solution: Lighten Your Load

Don’t exceed your “weight limit.” The American Chiropractic Association recommends that women avoid carrying purses that weigh more than 10 percent of their body weight. “However, no purse at all or a small handheld purse is the optimum solution,” Root says.

Carry your purse across your chest. “To distribute the weight more evenly across your entire body, select a bag with a wide, adjustable strap that can go over your head,” Root suggests. Bilateral straps, such as those on backpacks, can have the same positive effect.

Shoulder the weight evenly. “Make sure to switch the straps of a shoulder bag from side to side to shift the weight to alternate sides of your body and minimize stress,” Root says.

Prioritize your purse’s contents. “Consolidate items in your bag frequently to rid it of unnecessary weight,” Root advises. Think about whether you really need each item. “For example, perhaps put your pills in a plastic baggie instead of carrying all the bottles around at all times.”

Pay attention to posture. “Stand in a neutral position with your ears aligned with your shoulders, your shoulders aligned with your hips, and your hips aligned over your knees and feet,” Root says. “And if you have pain in your shoulders or back that you think may be caused by your bag, be sure to follow up with your [doctor] for a proper evaluation.”

Depending on the style of your purse, you might also consider storing frequently used items such as your cell phone and keys in the front pockets. “You won’t have to excessively twist your body to get to them, which will help prevent muscle sprains in your neck and back,” Root explains.

Not yet feeling the ills of your tote? Be proactive: The best way to protect yourself is to avoid making the mistakes that can cause problems in the first place. An added bonus? Your care steps will probably help extend the life of your beloved bag, too.