According To Science, Your Suitcase Is 58 Times Dirtier Than a Public Toilet Seat
Think airport bathrooms are gross? Your suitcase is way worse. A new study says the wheels on your luggage are 58 times dirtier than a public toilet seat. Dex and Barbie T break down the nastiest parts of your travel bag and why you should never put it on your hotel bed again. Germaphobes, brace yourselves—this one’s gonna haunt your next trip.
7/11/20251 min read
So, you've been out here washing your hands, dodging coughs, and hitting the hand sanitizer like it's holy water...
But the real threat? It’s rolling right behind you.
A new study just revealed something disgusting:
Your suitcase is 58 TIMES dirtier than a public toilet seat.
Let that sink in.
According to travel insurer InsureandGo (via Travel + Leisure), those suitcase wheels we all let roll through parking lots, airports, and mystery puddles are straight-up bacteria bombs.
When researchers swabbed the wheels, they found hundreds of bacterial and fungal colonies. Not "a few germs." Colonies. 😷
💩 The Nastiest Spots on Your Luggage:
The Wheels – 58x dirtier than a public toilet.
The Base of the Bag – Crawling with Bacillus spores.
The Handle – Prime real estate for Staph bacteria.
And if you're rolling with a soft-shell suitcase? Bad news.
Those fabric bags absorb moisture and germs like a nasty little sponge, meaning they’re basically a Petri dish on wheels.
✈️ Travel Tip from Dex and Barbie T:
STOP putting your suitcase on your hotel bed.
That’s how you end up cuddling with fungi. And not the fun kind.
Next time you're unpacking at the hotel, maybe leave your suitcase on the luggage rack like your mom always told you. And when you get home? Give those wheels a solid wipe-down. Like… with actual disinfectant. Not a baby wipe from your car.
Bottom Line:
Toilet seats are officially cleaner than your luggage.
And now we can’t un-know that.