Hidden Dangers of Your Purse and How to Clean it

It is always disturbing upon learning that there is something unseen and unknown lurking around us ready to hit when we least expect it. There is only one way to fight against these unseen forces and that is to acknowledge their existence and eliminate it. Like in the case of your purse, you do not know it but there are many horrors kept inside it.

Purses are functional and stylish. For many Singaporeans, purses are like their entire world. You travel with it and wherever you go, the purse will follow. It is placed on top of any surface from the toilet to subway seats and many more. This makes your purse a hot zone. You tend to touch many things before you reach for your purse. According to the Professor of St. Louis University’s Biomedical Laboratory Science Donna Duberg, hands touch an average of three hundred surfaces every thirty minutes.

These surfaces are not good citadel of cleanliness. The biggest offenders are transportation centers and public restrooms. When you touch these surfaces before your purse, hands will carry germs like E.coli which can be a source of food-borne illnesses. These germs usually stick to the leather and other fabric of purses. Aside from food-borne illnesses, E. coli can also cause other illnesses like respiratory distress, cold and flu.

Knowing this, what can you do to avoid such illnesses? That is simple. You have to learn how to clean your purse. Here are some tips on cleaning your purse:

• The bag itself: A microbiologist in 2006, Charles Gerba, found out that purses have fecal bacteria – the ones lying around the bathroom floor. It is therefore important to keep it clean especially the inside of the purse. When cleaning it, make sure to empty it first then get rid of the trash. Read the cleaning instructions of the bag because cleaning varies depending on the material or fabric.

• Keys: Purses contain keys. Keys can host germs and it is important to clean it as well. Cleaning it is easy and hassle free. You only need a cloth and put disinfectant then sanitize it.

• Mobile phone: Some people think that mobile phones are pretty harmless but in fact, it can host loads of germs and bacteria. In fact, researchers found out that phones can contain pathogens that can lead to infections. Like your keys, disinfect your mobile phone as often as you can.

• Laptop: Laptops are like mobile phones. They can also house millions of germs and bacteria. Experts recommend wiping laptop’s top to bottom by mixing mild detergent and warm water.