Posted on 08/03/2006 1:17:09 PM PDT by LibWhacker
(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY Its' something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our purses, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Shauna Lake put purses to the test – for bacteria – with surprising results. You may think twice about where you put your purse.
Women carry purses everywhere from the office to public restrooms to the floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their purses, but did you ever stop to think about where your purse goes during the day?
“I drive a school bus, so my purse has been on the floor of the bus a lot,” says one woman. “On the floor of my car, probably in restrooms.”
“I put my bus in grocery shopping carts, on the floor of bathroom stalls while changing a diaper,” says another woman. “And of course in my home which should be clean.”
We decided to find out if purses harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake, then we set out to test the average woman's purse. Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom of their purse. Most said they usually set their purses on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared.
Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if their purses were at least a little bit dirty. It turns out purses are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.
Microbiologist Amy Karren of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the purses tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria.
Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the purses could make people very sick. In one sampling, four of five purses tested positive for salmonella, and that’s not the worst of it.
“There is fecal contamination on the purses,” says Amy.
Leather or vinyl purses tended to be cleaner than cloth purses, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier purses than those without, with one exception. The purse of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contaminations of all.
“Some type of feces, or even possibly vomit or something like that,” says Amy.
So the moral of this story – your purse won't kill you, but it does has the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your purse at home and in restrooms, and don't put it on your desk, on a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.
Experts say you should think of your purse the same way you would a pair of shoes.
“If you think about putting a pair of shoes onto your countertops, that’s the same thing you’re doing when you put your purse on the countertops,” says Amy.
The microbiologists at Nelson also said cleaning a purse will help. Wash cloth purses and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather purses.
You can watch the original broadcast version at the source.
Yeah, well, there's pretty much bacteria all over everything, so you'd might as well get used to it. Or start constantly wiping everthing down with hand sanitizer.
There was also a report yesterday that cell phones are filthier than toilet bowls.
The heat from the batteries and the frequent use (hands touching) creates an excellent breeding environment for bacteria.
Oh, brother.
Or convince the ladies not to put their purses on your kitchen counter!
So what about cell phones kept in purses? Holy Double Bacteria whammy, Batman!
On the news this morning they talked about the bacteria all over cell phones. What about all the germs and worse all over money, I mean the list is endless and one could get crazy worrying about it.
Just wash your hands and you will be fine. sheesh
Watch those too. It kills bacteria because it contains pesticides. Accumulated exposure can literally eat your skin.
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Not putting your purse in the same places where you put your food or your feet would prevent exposure to harmful bacteria.
(Geez! Do people really need to be told this stuff? ;-)
Just thought I would ping Mr. Handy Pack, no particular reason =o)
This is easy to fix, some smart man can simply sell women a stylish bag to keep their purses in.
I think I got one of those carts afterwards--the wheels were noisy and it wouldn't roll straight anymore.
We're all gonna die!!
Or, alternatively, they might make good biological weapons or something...
They contain a mild alcohol, nothing hazardous. Let's try to remain calm.
Well maybe for those who regularly take a whiz on their phones....
In airports, it goes either on top of my luggage or over the strap of my luggage but must go into one of those plastic bins to go through XRay examination. In any or all bathrooms, it goes either on a hook or occasionally, I have hung it around my neck, as it usually slips off my shoulder while attending to business.
If I go to the movies (very rare anymore) it either goes on the handle of my seat or stays on my lap.
The main point is, not only do I never place my purse on my table, it also never goes on my kitchen counter. I have even spoken to other female guests in my home whom attempt to place their bags on my table, and I gently suggest they either hang their bags on a chair or place them somewhere else.
My husband once told me that I was rude when approaching a female and nicely but firmly requesting that she not place a purse on my table and I asked him, "Have you ever seen where all women put their purses, they are even dirtier than the bottom of their shoes!"
“Some type of feces, or even possibly vomit or something like that,” says Amy.
Life in the fast lane - it ain't ALL glamor folks.
Do NOT patronize me.
I've spent almost a full year recovering because I was required to use antibacterial soaps and disposable gloves at my job.
The peer review doctor, a dermatological specialist, remarked that, of the two types of 'germ killing' soap used, one was known to cause an allergic reaction, and the other was known to cause an irritant reaction.
For all practical purposes, we had the choice of being shot or stabbed.
As one of the other 4 Doctors I visited told me, "We're cleaning ourselves to death".
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FYI- Unsafe cosmetics (including soaps, shampoos, etc) are allowed to remain on the market because they are unregulated by the FDA.
The only thing that regulates the cosmetic industry IS the cosmetic industry.
Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association June, 2000
COMMENTS: Whether applied to the skin or swallowed it is still an antibiotic, and should not be available without a prescription. Many people, especially parents, unknowingly use these products many times a day on their children. Would they be as willing to give them an oral antibiotic as often? Most people don't realize that the skin is the body's largest organ and is capable of absorbing many substances into the body.
http://www.mercola.com/2000/jun/17/anti_bacterial_soap.htm
Here's a Google search for Material Safety Data Sheets for hand Sanitizers.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Hand+sanitizer+Material+Safety+Data+Sheet
Find me ONE that doesn't list one of the reactions as 'dermatitis'!
But this shouldn't just be a cheap shot at the ladies. Gentlemen, we KNOW where all those briefcases have been!
And how about student backpacks?
I don't mind low levels of everyday "harmless" bacteria, but I do draw the line at salmonella, fecal matter, e-coli, etc.
“I put my bus in grocery shopping carts, on the floor of bathroom stalls while changing a diaper,” says another woman. “And of course in my home which should be clean.”We decided to find out if purses harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake, then we set out to test the average woman's purse. Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom of their purse. Most said they usually set their purses on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared.
And some women have no problems with changing a diaper on any flat surface even though it may be an dining surface for other customers.
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