I wouldn’t say I’m a germaphobe, exactly, but I’m definitely germ-averse—especially when traveling.
I always carry a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer with me, and if I’m flying or taking a train, I also bring a couple of sanitizing wipes for shared surfaces like tray tables and armrests.
But it never really occurred to me, though, to worry about my own belongings, such as my passport or luggage.
It turns out that these items are among the dirtiest when it comes to encountering germs, and they’re likely not being cleaned often.
A lab experiment commissioned by JRPass, a Japan Rail Pass provider, found that a handful of common travel items carry the highest bacterial load after a trip. Researchers swabbed common travel items and measured bacterial load in colony-forming units (CFUs) per 3 square centimeters, and one item came out as the dirtiest by a wide margin, and it’s probably in your carry-on right now.
But before you panic, remember this: CFU count is not a health verdict. A high bacterial count means a surface gets touched a lot, because human hands carry bacteria. It does not establish infection risk.
Still, knowledge is power, and in this case, cleanliness. Here are the top five offenders and how to keep them (relatively) germ-free.
In this article
Passport
According to the JRPass study, passports were by far the germiest of common travel items, with findings that showed the average passport accumulates 436 CFUs of bacteria per 3 square centimeters.
When you think about it, though, it makes sense. Passports get so dirty when you travel because they’re typically handled by many people, like airline agents, customs officials, and hotel workers, over the course of a trip.
Depending on the passport rules at your destination, they may also be placed on shared scanners at immigration and security checkpoints, which thousands of other travelers’ passports have also touched.
Yuck.
As noted, while a high CFU count doesn’t automatically mean a risk of infection exists, the figure is a good indicator of surfaces that are touched most frequently, and passports lead the pack. To lessen your chance of getting sick while traveling, make a habit of wiping down the outside cover and the laminated photo page with an alcohol or antibacterial wipe when you arrive at your destination and return home. Avoid wiping the interior pages, though, as the alcohol may deteriorate the paper and render your passport invalid.
Checked Luggage
Coming in at an average of 97 CFUs per 3 square centimeters by the JRPass study, checked bags were the second-dirtiest post-trip items measured.
And it’s not super surprising given that your checked bags can be touched by rideshare, bus, or shuttle drivers; gate agents, baggage handlers, and airline staff; and eventually hotel bell staff and valets. And don’t forget they also sit on dirty floors, tarmac carts, conveyor belts, and in cargo holds, all of which have been touched by thousands of other bags and people.
And then there’s that person at baggage claim who touches every bag that passes because they can’t remember what their own looks like.
With this in mind, after you’ve retrieved your own luggage, wipe down all the high-contact points like zippers, handles, and wheels with an antibacterial cleaner before you put it away.
Shoes
Shoes came in third on the JRPass study, with an average bacterial load of 65 CFUs per 3 square centimeters.
Though if you think about everywhere you walk on a travel day, I’m surprised shoes didn’t come in with a much higher CFU count.
Your shoes touch airport or terminal floors, sidewalks, security lines, restrooms (airplane restrooms!), escalators, and streets, and they pick up germs and dirt from every surface they touch.
While you may routinely wash your travel uniform after a trip, like me, you probably just kick your shoes off and leave them by the door or put them away in a closet.
Well, not anymore. Now, to avoid dragging all those germs into my home, I’ll be giving the soles a scrub with a disinfectant before putting them away.
Hand Luggage
Just because you decide not to check a bag doesn’t mean you’re less likely to pick up germs.
Hand luggage, like carry-on bags, backpacks, purses, and other personal items, was fourth on JRPass study’s list, averaging 56 CFUs per 3 square centimeters at the end of a trip.
Although you generally keep such items with you, they still encounter high-traffic floors, heavily handled security bins, bathroom surfaces, and shared areas such as overhead bins or under the airline seat in front of you.
Often, they’re touched or handled by other passengers, airline personnel, or security agents, too, along the way.
So you probably want to wipe your hand luggage down when you get home. After your trip, use a damp, soapy cloth or antibacterial wipe to clean the handles, straps, and bottom to get rid of any germs that may have tagged along for the ride.
Phone
Mobile phones, at 45 CFUs per 3 square centimeters, round out the five worst offenders in the JRPass study.
When we travel these days, we are constantly touching our phones: for boarding passes, directions, last-minute calls and texts, in-flight entertainment, or scrolling between legs.
We set them on tray tables, airport seats, and scanners at check-in counters, as well as security lines, airport lounges, and gates.
No matter how often we wipe or sanitize our hands, we’re still going to pick up germs and inevitably transfer them to our phones.
To minimize spread, keep alcohol-based wipes and/or glass cleaners in your carry-on and give your device a thorough wipe-down, including the buttons and case, at the end of each travel day.
The Shortcut
Your passport is the dirtiest thing you travel with, and it isn't close: 436 CFUs against 97 for a checked bag.
Wipe only the cover and the laminated photo page. Alcohol on the interior pages can damage them enough to invalidate the passport.
A high CFU count means a surface gets handled constantly. It is not a measure of how likely you are to get sick.
For everything else, clean the parts your hands live on: zippers, handles, wheels, straps, soles, phone case.
