You carry it to school. To the gym. To work. You toss it on your bed, your sofa, sometimes even your kitchen table…But what if I told you… your backpack might be the dirtiest thing in your entire house?Dirtier than your shoes. Dirtier than your phone. And yes—even dirtier than your toilet seat. Today, I’ll uncover the shocking truth about backpacks—and how to clean them at home, properly, before they make you sick. Let me tell you a quick story. Two weeks ago, my friend came down with a strange allergic reaction. Constant sneezing. Itchy eyes. Even a mild skin rash on his arms. Doctors checked for everything—dust allergies, food reactions, pollution. Turns out… the source was lying quietly in his room. His backpack. He had been using the same one for three years. Never washed it. Not even once. Why would he? It looked fine. But when they inspected it closely, they found layers of dried sweat, food crumbs, dust mites, dead skin cells… even mold. Yes—mold. That same backpack he hugged close to his chest in public transport, that he threw on his pillow when he got home—was slowly poisoning him. Shocking, right? But here’s the scary part—he isn’t alone. Why Are Backpacks So Dirty? You use your backpack daily. It touches your back—where you sweat the most. You keep it on floors. You rest it on public benches. Sometimes, it even ends up on restroom floors without you realizing it. Inside, we store used gym clothes, snacks, charger cables, money—even shoes! But we rarely stop to think: How often do we actually clean it? Weeks go by. Months. Sometimes even years. And over time… it becomes a bacteria playground. According to a recent microbiology study, the average school or office backpack carries over 10,000 different types of bacteria—some of which can lead to skin infections, respiratory issues, and even food contamination. Still think it’s “just a bag”? 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝟏: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑹𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍. First things first—completely empty your backpack. Not just the main compartment. Every zipper. Every flap. Every hidden corner. Check for pens, receipts, headphone cases, coins, crumbs. You’ll be amazed at what’s hiding in there.