It’s a common shopping buzz kill. You discover great boots that don’t pinch your feet, so you stock up on two pairs. Unfortunately, those boots also weigh down your shopping bag, causing its thin handles to dig into your hand. Real Simple asked office messengers how they avoid chafed hands while making about 10 shopping-bag deliveries a day. Fred Griffith, a messenger for CD&L, in New York City, who has worked as a courier for nearly 20 years, always carries a washcloth or a rolled handkerchief to cushion his hands, especially for handling heavy bags. Keeping hands moisturized also helps keep the skin from chafing, he says. Another solution: a rubber bag handle. It’s small enough to throw in a purse or stow in the glove compartment, and it can soften the grip on any totables, from grocery bags to paint cans.