Carrying Filth: A 2News Investigation [Filthy Purses]

KUTV Salt Lake ^ | 5/21/06 | Shauna Lake

[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.

[Straight Vermonter]

Please you're being silly. Dry skin is not a medical emergency. I am sorry for your condition but people use these substances every day. They are perfectly safe for people who are not allergic.

I took your advice and went to the MSDS at the link you provided and look what I found:

NO MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE KNOWN TO BE AGGRAVATED BY THIS PRODUCT

Maybe you get your "peer review doctor" to point to the pesticide on the ingredient label?

Had enough yet?

[MamaTexan]

Dry skin is not a medical emergency.

Dermatitis is not 'dry skin'. In making such a statement, you show you ignorance. Do a search for images, or go here- http://dermis.multimedica.de/bilder/CD001/550px/img0038.jpg
for an example.
(I'm not so inconsiderate to my fellow FReepers as to post gross pictures around supper-time)

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They are perfectly safe for people who are not allergic.

How do allergies develop?

The skin allergy really begins with a process called sensitization. It starts with the penetration of allergenic substances into the outer layer of the skin. The process lasts from four days to three weeks. During this period there are no signs of skin damage.
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/allergic_derm.html

Irritant reactions occur from repeated an accumulated exposure to chemicals.

Most cases of housewife's eczema are ICD resulting from repeated skin exposure to low-grade cutaneous irritants, particularly soaps, water, and detergents. Cumulative ICD from repeated mild skin irritation from soap and water is common.
http://www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic85.htm

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I took your advice and went to the MSDS at the link you provided and look what I found: NO MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE KNOWN TO BE AGGRAVATED BY THIS PRODUCT

Doesn't say none are CREATED, just not 'aggravated'. Would you post an address to that particular sheet, or give me a product name, please?

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Maybe you get your "peer review doctor" to point to the pesticide on the ingredient label?

Why? It's not that hard to find-
Triclosan, or "diphenyl ether" is assigned a CAS number because the EPA has it listed as a pesticide. (CAS Number: 3380-34-5) United States pesticide registration
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Country.jsp?Country=United%20States&offset=-1

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Had enough yet?

ROFLMAO!

Of WHAT, exactly. You've not substantiated your claim to the harmlessness of any chemicals or types of products mentioned.

In fact, your entire argument consisting of 'you're silly' followed by unsupported ramblings seems rather puerile.

[Straight Vermonter]

Most cases of housewife's eczema are ICD resulting from repeated skin exposure to low-grade cutaneous irritants, particularly soaps, water, and detergents.

Don't use soap, we're all gonna die!!!

Ahhhhh!!!!!

How do you live being afraid of everything?

Here is the MSDS I was referring to

A quick search of some of the MSDSes on the page you linked to showed them all to use alcohol as the active ingredient. While I am sure that some may use Triclosan it does not appear to be used in the most common brands such as Purel.

When I searched for a hand sanitizer with Triclosan and got its MSDS it lists no health concerns.

But be afraid, be very afraid!

The widowmaker!!!

[MamaTexan]

Don't use soap, we're all gonna die!!!

Now you're being ridiculous.

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How do you live being afraid of everything?

You've shown yourself to be clueless. I'm afraid of very little. People who refuse to use caution when caution has proven itself to be warranted are foolish.

Do you believe everything is safe just because the government tells you it is? Or even worse, when the government doesn't even bother looking at it?

Do you believe your skin is an impenetrable barrier that doesn't absorb anything?
(FYI - If that were the case birth control and nicotine patches wouldn't work)

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A quick search of some of the MSDSes on the page you linked to showed them all to use alcohol as the active ingredient.

Yes. Hand sanitizers contain alcohol and tricolsan is in antibacterial soaps.

Isopropyl alcohol is also commonly used as a cleaner and solvent in industry. It is also used as a gasoline additive for dissolving water or ice in fuel lines. Isopropanol is the main ingredient in rubbing alcohol. It is used as a disinfectant, and is a common solvent.

***

Ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, is a versatile solvent. It is miscible with water and with most organic liquids, including nonpolar liquids such as aliphatic hydrocarbons. Organic solids of low molecular weight are usually soluble in ethanol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol

Both types of alcohol are known solvents. You skin can be dissolved just like anything else.

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Believe and act (or don't) in which ever manner you choose.

I can only hope you have a high enough chemical tolerance that you will never have to learn about this via the school of hard knocks.

[GeronL]

Apparently PJ ignores these types of threads