It’s perhaps the most faithful companion on your vacation… and yet, you’ve probably never washed it. Faithful to the post for lugging your belongings every summer, it is in reality a real nest for microbes, dust, germs and bacteria of all kinds. This is what reminds The Parisianbased on several studies and the advice of Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of True Medical.
Every journey, every airport, every treadmill is an opportunity for micro-organisms to take hold. And according to microbiologist Jason Tetro in the Washington Postyour suitcase is even a preferred vector of transmission for pathogens. “Each tourist thus carries in their intestines, on their skin and their belongings (their suitcases, bags and clothes, etc.) phenomenal quantities of microbes.“, specifies Dr. Kierzek. These exchanges promote the resistance of bacteria and accelerate the dissemination of infectious diseases.
Why are suitcases so contaminated?
The study published in 2019 in the journal Science is clear: human mobility is a powerful engine of bacterial dispersion. In question, the surfaces that we touch (handles, closures, wheels) but also those on which we place our luggage. Hotels, trains, airports, car parks… All these transit areas are conducive to the accumulation of invisible dirt.
Without maintenance, a suitcase can accumulate resistant bacteria present in public places (e.g.: airport or toilet handles), fungal spores from the ground or humid areas, biological residues such as dead cells, hair or animal traces or even debris and dust that may contain allergens.
The concern is not necessarily the contamination itself, but the lack of simple hygiene gestures which make it possible to limit this spread.
The right actions to adopt to clean your suitcase
No need for gloves and industrial disinfectant to leave alone. All it takes is a little method and common sense, according to Dr. Kierzek, to considerably reduce the risk of contamination.
Here are his concrete tips:
- Clean the handle with a disinfectant wipe or soapy cloth: this is the place most touched by you… and others;
- Disinfect the zipper or clips, often forgotten but regularly handled;
- Vacuum the inside of the suitcase between two trips, especially if you store shoes or loose items there;
- Pack dirty items (shoes, linen, toiletries) in closed bags to prevent them from contaminating the rest;
- Avoid putting the suitcase on the bed when arriving at the hotel,”to prevent bedbug contamination“, the doctor further specifies.
Even strollers, car seats or backpacks are affected: they touch many surfaces and often travel dirty. A wipe with a sponge may be enough to extend their lifespan.
Too much hygiene… kills hygiene?
However, should you transform your travel routine into a sterilization operation? “No, too much hygiene kills hygiene“, recalls Dr. Kierzek. A completely sanitized environment is neither realistic nor desirable.
He lists several reasons for this:
- The immune system needs to be stimulated by exposure to germs;
- Our microbiome, these billions of useful microorganisms, thrives on a certain disorder;
- The hygiene hypothesis suggests that too much cleanliness could promote allergies or autoimmune diseases;
- Permanent sterilization can paradoxically favor antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
In short, you can clean without sanitizing, and travel peacefully without falling into paranoia.