BAG-teria !
This is kind of long but I thought it was real interesting!
Bacteria on Purses
A study was performed on women's purses. A health team went to a local mall and took samples from the bottom of 50 women's purses. The purses were swabbed with cotton swabs along the entire bottom of the purses and placed into special containers. The swabs were then processed at a local laboratory.
The Health Report also showed where women place their purses: public rest-rooms (on the floor beside the toilet), kitchen counters & kitchen tables, on tables & chairs in restaurants, etc. The results of the laboratory tests contained the following most serious result: 1 out of 4 purses â E COLI
Other extremely serious bacteria also were listed, including Hepatitis.
They recommended that women should DAILY wipe their purses (particularly the bottom) with a disinfectant wipe and to be extremely careful where you sit your purse. Most important, do NOT place your purse on a table (anywhere) where you will eat or on a kitchen counter and do not put it anywhere close to a toilet.
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In that news story, swabs from 50 purses were sent to a lab for analysis. While a few of the samples did not show evidence of bacterial growth, most did, and nearly 1/4 of the handbags tested proved to have E. coli on them. (Escherichia coli is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of humans and animals.
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Here are some things you can do to decrease the likelihood of spreading illness with your pocketbook:
Clean your purse or tote bag regularly. If your handbag is not the sort of item that can be tossed into the washing machine with any hope of its surviving the process, scrub its outside with a soaped-up wet facecloth or take an anti-bacterial spray or disposable wipe to it. Don't forget to tend to its handle or strap as well as to its sides.
Keep in mind that bacteria and viruses latch on far more readily in wet or damp environments than they do in dry ones (see our article about the supposed 5 second rule governing dropped food for more information about that conclusion) â if you set down your carry-all on a damp or wet surface, clean it once you're home, even if you only just washed it recently.
Don't set down your purse on any surface where food will be prepared or eaten. That means keep it off tables and kitchen or break room counters. If you are in the habit of eating at your desk, don't place your handbag there.
Remember that your purse comes into contact with most every surface your shoes tread on, and treat your handbag accordingly. If you wouldn't eat a hotdog after running your hand across the sole of your shoe, don't eat one after handling your purse. If you wouldn't place your sandals on the kitchen counter, don't drop your pocketbook there either.
All the advice just given about handbags applies to briefcases and backpacks too. Your briefcase should also get a soapy wipe-down on a regular basis, as should your backpack. Both should also be kept off all surfaces where food is likely to be prepared or eaten.
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