You might not think much about it when you’re all toasty and warm on your commute, but your winter gloves may be harbouring a hidden city of bacteria. And we bet you can’t remember the last time you washed them, either.A swabbing experiment by Initial Washroom Hygiene revealed winter gloves harboured up to five times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. And another bit of research by the same company unearthed the rather grim truth that glove-wearers are failing to wash either their hands and gloves regularly.
Polyester gloves were the worst culprits for accruing germs, followed by fleece, leather and wool – with similar bacteria levels found on both the inside and outside of the gloves, too.
So should you be worried? The answer, according to Professor Val Curtis, of the
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, is no. “This is, yet again, another study by bugs funded by an interested party who want you to use more wash products,” she says.
That said, it is a good reminder of the importance of hand-washing, she says, especially at a time when there are lots of bugs around (we’re looking at you, cold and flu).Related... This Is How Often You Should Be Washing Your Towels (You'll Thank Us Later) It’s the hands that are the problem not your winter clothes, she says: “It’s really about how important it is to wash your hands after using the toilet, and after preparing food, because your own gloves aren’t going to give you an infection you haven’t already got.
“The fact that your winter woollies and your gloves are carrying loads of bugs doesn’t mean they’re a danger to you.”
An additional survey by Initial Washroom Hygiene, of more than 1,500 glove-wearers, found that 44% of respondents admit they never wash their hands once they’ve taken their gloves off.
Flu and cold bugs are very infectious and can be spread in a numbers of ways – for example in the air and from surfaces. But hands are probably the main source of where these bugs come from, suggests Prof Curtis. “We do know that regular hand washing does reduce the risk.”
In fact, a study she conducted in 2006 suggested hand-washing reduces the risk of respiratory infections by up to 44%.Related... You've (Probably) Been Washing Knickers Wrong Your Entire Life Should you wash your gloves?Two thirds (64%) of the latest survey respondents said they wash their gloves once a month or less and 15% claim to have never washed them at all. But there’s mixed messaging on whether you actually need to wash them or not.
Dr Moore said that while washing gloves more regularly will help to minimise the level of microbial activity they harbour, the onus is still on the wearer to wash their hands after taking them off. Meanwhile, Prof Curtis believes you don’t need to be washing your gloves at all, prioritising hand-washing instead.
But Dr Lisa Ackerley, otherwise known as The Hygiene Doctor, disagrees. She believes there’s no harm in washing winter woollies regularly, particularly if you wear them on public transport. “I wash my woollens on a cold water wash on the wool cycle with wool-friendly detergent and some laundry cleanser in the conditioner drawer,” she says. “If that is too scary, wash by hand.”
“You can always use a disinfectant spray such as the Dettol one,” she adds.What about scarves?As for scarves, if you’re coughing into yours regularly and it’s looking a bit manky, you might want to wash that, too. But Prof Curtis is keen to point out that it’s only your germs that are on there anyway.
She likens the situation to carry around a dirty handkerchief – “you don’t want to be carrying around a filthy, nasty, coughed-on handkerchief covered in mucus. More for aesthetic reasons than for public health reasons.” So, if your scarf starts to look a little crusty, you might want to give it a wash.
Coughing into your own scarf is actually a “good thing”, she adds, because it means you’re not coughing your bugs on to everybody else. “You may find a lot of bugs in your scarf but they’re not actually the pathogens that are going to cause you disease,” she adds.
In short, don’t be worried. But it’s a good idea to wash your hands after wearing gloves. And it’s probably best not to take your gloves off using your teeth, either.Related... Guys, Flu Season Is On The Horizon – Here's What You Need To Know How To Prevent A Cold Or Flu With 11 Doctor-Approved Tips Parents, Here's Why You Shouldn't Freak Out If Your House Isn't Squeaky Clean