Okay Fine! Get Your Denim Baggy Filthy With Germs...'-(
- Thread starter jchiara
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Just sharin' a story Sari. I'm glad to have imparted some humor into your day though....
Ive heard that if you put your bag on the floor that you will be broke. Dont know if it is true, but why chance it. lol
LOL....well if spending the $$$ on the bag in the first place didn't kill me, then I guess I should start keeping it on my lap !!!!
I don't know where you heard that from, but does that mean all the women in the world are broke because they put their bags on the floor? That's the lamest thing I ever heard.
Is Your Handbag Full of Germs?
ABC News has a horrifying article explaining how our handbags are apparently seething with nasty microorganisms which can make us really sick. Remember that book, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston? Apparently, the bottom of our purses is like a chapter from that book. You put your purse down, it picks up E. coli or something else equally awful, then your purse becomes a "subway for germs" as it carries the little nasties from location to location.
Women rarely go anywhere without a purse, which means that if a woman enters a place full of germs, so does her bag. That could mean she ends up carrying around microbes that could make her sick all day long. Microbiologist Chuck Gerba researches where organisms that make us sick lurk and lately he says he has found that germs gather on the outside of a woman's purse, especially on the bottom. "We found fecal bacteria you normally find on the floor of restroom," he said. "We found bacteria that can cause skin infections on the bottom of purses. What's more amazing is the large numbers we find on the bottom of purses, which indicates that they can be picking up a lot of other germs like cold viruses or viruses that cause diarrhea."
Using a hand-held germ meter, Gerba demonstrated how much bacteria can grow on a woman's purse for ABC News, with results that ranged from scary to downright terrifying. Health experts worry when the meter reads over 200, which means thousands of bacteria are present. He found thousands of germs on one woman's purse. She bought her bag about a month ago and Gerba's measurements showed her purse also carried thousands of germs. ABC News is not naming the women who participated in order to protect their identities. "I'll probably just get a new one," she said.
Yet another woman has been carrying a handbag around for years and Gerba said that he found "hundreds of thousands of germs on the surface." Gerba found about half a million bacteria on the bottom of one woman's large bag. Each time ABC News and Gerba ran an instant field test and later a lab test on swabs from the outside bottom of 10 women's purses, every single one had at least some bacteria, most had tens of thousands and a few were saturated with millions. One even had 6.7 million bacteria. Half of the bags tested positive for coliform bacteria, which indicated the possible presence of human or animal waste.
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"It matters because you can move germs that can cause illness from one location to another," he said. "You can later touch that purse and get them on your hands, or you could put your purse near a food preparation area and transfer germs to areas you may touch during food preparation." Some women argued that they do not lick the bottom of their purses, so they should not be in danger of getting sick, but it is very easy to unknowingly transfer germs. For example, whatever touched the bottom of your purse touches you when you grab it. If you eat a sandwich soon after that, the germs go right into your mouth. "The purses are really becoming subways for micro organisms," Gerba said. "They're being transferred from one location to another. So it's just like germ 'public transportation.' I'm afraid to touch them. You know, I know too much. I'll never become a purse snatcher, believe me."
Ok, we are now totally freaked out. So, what are you supposed to do -- use alcohol wipes on your Marc Jacobs leather handbag? Not in this lifetime, honey. Although, we think our Prada microfiber could stand it...maybe. We never put our purse on the floor -- ever. And we never let it near small children (which is not an easy feat, believe us).
Thanks a lot, ABC News. Now we'll always think of our purses as little "subways for germs."
ABC News has a horrifying article explaining how our handbags are apparently seething with nasty microorganisms which can make us really sick. Remember that book, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston? Apparently, the bottom of our purses is like a chapter from that book. You put your purse down, it picks up E. coli or something else equally awful, then your purse becomes a "subway for germs" as it carries the little nasties from location to location.
Women rarely go anywhere without a purse, which means that if a woman enters a place full of germs, so does her bag. That could mean she ends up carrying around microbes that could make her sick all day long. Microbiologist Chuck Gerba researches where organisms that make us sick lurk and lately he says he has found that germs gather on the outside of a woman's purse, especially on the bottom. "We found fecal bacteria you normally find on the floor of restroom," he said. "We found bacteria that can cause skin infections on the bottom of purses. What's more amazing is the large numbers we find on the bottom of purses, which indicates that they can be picking up a lot of other germs like cold viruses or viruses that cause diarrhea."
Using a hand-held germ meter, Gerba demonstrated how much bacteria can grow on a woman's purse for ABC News, with results that ranged from scary to downright terrifying. Health experts worry when the meter reads over 200, which means thousands of bacteria are present. He found thousands of germs on one woman's purse. She bought her bag about a month ago and Gerba's measurements showed her purse also carried thousands of germs. ABC News is not naming the women who participated in order to protect their identities. "I'll probably just get a new one," she said.
Yet another woman has been carrying a handbag around for years and Gerba said that he found "hundreds of thousands of germs on the surface." Gerba found about half a million bacteria on the bottom of one woman's large bag. Each time ABC News and Gerba ran an instant field test and later a lab test on swabs from the outside bottom of 10 women's purses, every single one had at least some bacteria, most had tens of thousands and a few were saturated with millions. One even had 6.7 million bacteria. Half of the bags tested positive for coliform bacteria, which indicated the possible presence of human or animal waste.
*****
"It matters because you can move germs that can cause illness from one location to another," he said. "You can later touch that purse and get them on your hands, or you could put your purse near a food preparation area and transfer germs to areas you may touch during food preparation." Some women argued that they do not lick the bottom of their purses, so they should not be in danger of getting sick, but it is very easy to unknowingly transfer germs. For example, whatever touched the bottom of your purse touches you when you grab it. If you eat a sandwich soon after that, the germs go right into your mouth. "The purses are really becoming subways for micro organisms," Gerba said. "They're being transferred from one location to another. So it's just like germ 'public transportation.' I'm afraid to touch them. You know, I know too much. I'll never become a purse snatcher, believe me."
Ok, we are now totally freaked out. So, what are you supposed to do -- use alcohol wipes on your Marc Jacobs leather handbag? Not in this lifetime, honey. Although, we think our Prada microfiber could stand it...maybe. We never put our purse on the floor -- ever. And we never let it near small children (which is not an easy feat, believe us).
Thanks a lot, ABC News. Now we'll always think of our purses as little "subways for germs."
I think meneednewpurse just meant it was a superstition some people had....like walking under a ladder or something
I don't know where you heard that from, but does that mean all the women in the world are broke because they put their bags on the floor? That's the lamest thing I ever heard.
....that doesn't make any sence either
ROFL!!!
So THAT explains my bank balance!!!!!Yep, guilty as charged; I'm definitely a floor girl AND I've read the article about germs on purses! :shame:
it's just a superstition, if you want to believe then believe it, if not, then it's fine. jchiara, that's nice of you to care like that. i'm also the same, after reading those germ-carrying purses, i'm now careful w/ my bags
Thanks Angel. That's all I meant by it.
Not to be nosy, or get anyone's joint outta place. It's just like "getaholdofyourselfman" type thing. You wanna put your clothes on the floor? GREAT. You wanna put that $19.99 bag that you're going to replace next season, GREAT. But an $1200 bag? "getaholdofyourselfman". And I don't care HOW loaded you are and it means nothing to spend $1200 on a bag and it's just a bag but I just worry how gross and dirty it is.....let alone to do it to a bag like the baggy pm......but you're right. I'll mind my own business in the future.....it probably is just a better idea.
Not to be nosy, or get anyone's joint outta place. It's just like "getaholdofyourselfman" type thing. You wanna put your clothes on the floor? GREAT. You wanna put that $19.99 bag that you're going to replace next season, GREAT. But an $1200 bag? "getaholdofyourselfman". And I don't care HOW loaded you are and it means nothing to spend $1200 on a bag and it's just a bag but I just worry how gross and dirty it is.....let alone to do it to a bag like the baggy pm......but you're right. I'll mind my own business in the future.....it probably is just a better idea.
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Well, to be fair to her it is her business and she probably wasn't prepared for someone to criticize where she places her purse while she's reading and waiting at the dentist. Was this in the waiting room? Usually those floors are not overly dirty (hopefully). It's not like she had it sitting in a bloody OR or a mud puddle. I put my purses on the floor no matter what it is, I try to put it on a chair but sometimes one isn't available. They are just things, and really denim/canvas is pretty durable. I have a tan/brown canvas Gucci hobo (not the type that is shiny and you can wipe off, it is the fabric type) and I have set it on the floor and it is just fine.
I see people all the time leaving their bags unattended, sitting them on wet bathroom counters, and all types of things. Most of us here love and appreciate our bags but some others don't really care so much and thats fine.
It will be their loss if they ever want to sell them or get sick from the germ build up.
It will be their loss if they ever want to sell them or get sick from the germ build up.
I don't know where you heard that from, but does that mean all the women in the world are broke because they put their bags on the floor? That's the lamest thing I ever heard.
Ahhhh - but imagine how much money they would have if they never put their bags on the floor
Ahhhh - but imagine how much money they would have if they never put their bags on the floor
LOL !!!!! ^^^^^
I wonder how germmy our shoes are ?
These threads make me laugh. I personally wont put my purse on the floor unless I have no choice. In the waiting room of the dentists office I'll usually just keep it on my lap...no need to put it on the floor even if every seat is taken. Funny how people get a little defensive about this. We KNOW that it's their bag to do what they want with it. On a lighter note..I never walk under ladders, open umbrellas indoors, break mirrors and get a little spooked when a black cat crosses my path 
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