Special Reports

Handbags: The Fashion Accessory For Carrying Germs

Tested Purses Found To Have Several Types Of Bacteria

BOSTON (CBS4) ― Whether it's a fashion statement or purely practical, for most women, a purse is a must have. Did you ever stop to think where your handbag goes during the day?

We wanted to find out what kind of germs a woman's bag might pick up along the course of a day. A lab tested more than two dozen handbags for traces of various bacteria.

Even the scientist who conducted the tests was surprised at what she found.

"I had no idea that it would be that much bacteria," said microbiologist Amy Karren of Nelson Labs.

This was not just the harmless kind of bacteria you find around your house, this was the kind that makes you sick.

"We found pseudomonas, staphylococcus aureus, E-coli family and salmonella", she said.

Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staph aureus can cause skin infections and E-coli and salmonella can cause serious intestinal problems.

The test found leather or vinyl purses were generally cleaner than cloth bags and women with kids tend to have dirtier purses than singles.

So what can you do to avoid picking up these potentially harmful bacteria?

Experts suggest using a hook to hang your purse, particularly when you are in a public restroom.

They say you should also keep your purse off the kitchen counter or anywhere else you might eat. Wiping the bottom of your bag with a mild soap or disinfectant will kill much of those harmful germs.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)