E Coli in one out of four purses?

Pursie

Member
Oct 24, 2006
26
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Can this possibly be true? Bacteria in our bags?!

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 — E COLI.
 
eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww!!! I hold it or put it around my neck lol..NEVER on a public restroom floor.....That's gross....If people do that they deserve to get e-coli on their purses....:heart: Emmy
 
Just thought I'd chime in on this since I'm actually a microbiologist...

I think this study is probably rather accurate. Most people don't realize that bacteria are EVERYWHERE and E. coli is more common than you would think. The thing to remember is that not all E. coli is the super nasty strain that you hear about in the news. While its all pretty gross, not all varieties will make you violently ill.
 
When I use a public restroom, I take a couple of those paper toilet seat covers and hang them on the hook that is usually on the back of the door. Then I hang my bag up there. I try like hell to avoid public restrooms for lots of reasons anyway, though.
 
When I use a public restroom, I take a couple of those paper toilet seat covers and hang them on the hook that is usually on the back of the door. Then I hang my bag up there. I try like hell to avoid public restrooms for lots of reasons anyway, though.
^Yeah I hear ya.....I hate it b/c you have to 'go' but the thought of some big smelly ass in the next stall kills me..I hate it but I do it b/c I have to....Ugg...New topic anyone?? :heart: Emmy
 
So true - bugs are everywhere, you can't get away from them! As an ex-ICU nurse it is highly likely that I have antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus in my nose (where normal people have antibiotic sensitive staph). It grosses me out, but what can I do? I try not to think about it. Just wash your hands before you eat, EVERY TIME. Unless you have a suppressed immune system, it's better not to get all worked up about the bacteria all around us.
 
So true - bugs are everywhere, you can't get away from them! As an ex-ICU nurse it is highly likely that I have antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus in my nose (where normal people have antibiotic sensitive staph). It grosses me out, but what can I do? I try not to think about it. Just wash your hands before you eat, EVERY TIME. Unless you have a suppressed immune system, it's better not to get all worked up about the bacteria all around us.

I agree Palm Tree. I too work in the hospital and all of us have agreed we must have MRSA in our Nares. We take care of resistant staph patients by the dozens everyday. It's just a fact that bacteria is all around us, everywhere, no matter how clean you might perceive yourself to be. The only thing you can do is be aware of cross contamination and wash your hands alot.
Our purses are bound to be bacteria ridden. We handle them constantly. Wonder if a spray of Lysol spray inside the bags would hurt them. I assume lysol spray has alcohol in it so we couldn't spray the outsides.

I never put my purse on the bathroom floor. It's around my neck if need be.
 
On keeping handbags clean:

"They recommended that women should DAILY wipe their purses (particularly the bottom) with a disinfectant wipe and to be extremely careful where you set 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. Remember, when you flush a toilet, the spray goes a distance that is unrecognizable by the human eye."

I think you also need to put your money into wallets and coin purses. I know you can't get rid of every germ, but it has got to help.

Pursella
It's all in the bag