If you’ve ever hesitated to put your suitcase on a hotel bed, you might have good reason to be cautious. A recent study by InsureandGo reveals that your trusty travel bag could be a hotspot for harmful bacteria. The filthiest spot? The wheels, which harbor nearly 58 times more bacteria than a public toilet seat.
To uncover just how filthy our luggage gets on the go, a microbiologist swabbed both hard- and soft-shell suitcases at a busy airport train station. They tested two key spots on each bag, the wheels and the base, to see how much grime we might be dragging into our hotel rooms and homes.
The wheels emerged as the dirtiest part, teeming with bacteria like Staphylococcus (common skin bacteria), Serratia marcescens (often found in damp places like bathrooms), and even black fuzzy molds such as Aspergillus species. The study used sterile cotton swabs to collect samples, which were then grown on agar plates for five days to identify the germs.
Next in line for contamination was the suitcase base, carrying about 350 colony-forming units (CFU) per 3 cm². This spot often contacts dirty floors and picks up unwanted guests like Bacillus spores and black molds. Soft-shell suitcases showed even higher fungal growth than hard-shell ones, likely because fabric traps moisture and grime more easily.
Even airport luggage trolley handles aren’t clean: they carry 40 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, including Bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning, and Staphylococcus aureus, a common skin bacterium. With hundreds of hands gripping them daily, these handles are a surprisingly dirty part of your travel journey.
Keeping your suitcase clean
Don’t panic, keeping those germs at bay is easier than you think. The microbiologist behind the study shared some simple but effective tips to keep your suitcase (and you) clean while traveling.
First off, avoid placing your luggage on the bed or table. Instead, use a luggage rack or keep your bag on the floor to prevent bacteria from spreading to surfaces where you eat or sleep.
After your trip, give your suitcase wheels and base a good wipe-down with disinfectant wipes to kill off any lingering germs. You can also get creative by using washable suitcase covers or even slipping shower caps over the wheels before bringing your bag indoors.
Don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your luggage, especially before meals. And a final golden rule: try to avoid rolling your suitcase through obviously dirty areas. That means no dragging it into toilet stalls or muddy spots if you can help it.
