Get Your Nasty Purse Off My Dining Table!
Statistics tell us that most women wash their hands after using the restroom and most men do not. While I think anyone that does not is downright disgusting, there is another issue that is seldom addressed and even more repulsive: Handbags.
Women go everywhere with their handbags. I don’t blame them. As long as pockets are considered non-essential in high-fashion women’s wear it will be needed. Where else is a female to carry her keys, cash, and ID? Add to that the cultural need for lipstick, eyeliner, eye shadow, various other touch-up makeup, tissues, feminine hygiene products, photos, a checkbook, hairbrush, etc., the simple clutch can easily bloat to a saddle bag so big that it would have prompted the pony express to adopt a new policy that allowed for delays.
The problem I have is sanitation. The handbag rarely gets washed, but is set down on the floor of the car, the floor of the public toilet, and various other unsavory locations, then it is set on counters and tables when paying a bill. The same surface that was just in direct contact with dried vomit, urine, and any other filth that can overflow from a toilet is now on the dining table at your favorite restaurant where the next guest’s silverware will be in a few minutes. Yummy.
Of course, I’m sure the quick wipe down by the bus boy will conquer the E. Coli deposited there. After all, they are so highly paid we can expect them to be extremely thorough, right?
Nelson Labs recently ran tests on several handbags and nearly all popped positive for harmful bacteria including but not limited to Pseudomonas (cause eye infections), staphylococcus aurous (cause serious skin infections), and E. Coli (which causes you to stay within eight steps of a toilet for two weeks). Four out of five were positive for Salmonella (same symptoms as E. Coli).
Nelson Labs also determined that cloth bags were filthier than leather or vinyl and people with kids consistently had dirtier bags. So what can you do? Use hooks to hang your bag instead of setting it on the floor. Clean your bag often with a good antimicrobial cleaner. Most of all, just be wary of where your bag has been and where you are putting it.
I’ll make you a deal. I’ll keep washing my hands if you keep your bag off the table.
