How Your Dirty Purse May Be Affecting Your Health
To me, purchasing a new purse feels like investing in a new relationship.
Even if I don't purchase a handbag, the experience of finding a purse that fits my fun personality is exhilarating - just like it feels when you go on a first date with someone you're really feeling.
The smell of a high quality handbag is as intoxicating as the scent of a well groomed man. The feel of an extra soft handle gives me butterflies, like the first time my crush ever touched my hand. But while selecting a purse is fun and games, I often fall short when it comes to caring for it. I found myself putting the purse that I once loved in the back of my closet. It no longer served a purpose to me. Out of sight, out of mind.
The problem is that when I finally pulled my old purses out of the closet to rekindle what we once had, I fond all kinds of things filthy things inside of it. Money. Buttons that broke off of my favorite chenille sweater. Lint. Cookie crumbs and chicken nuggets from the countless times my son half ate his meal and threw it into my purse because he mistook it for a trash bag.
One time I found spilled baby formula in my purse, and it smelled putrid. Yes, I'm one of the few women in the world who takes zero time cleaning my purses. But I recently learned I'm compromising my health by not cleaning my handbags. Back in 2013, a microbiologist told the Today Show that dirty purses have been known to carry fecal bacteria. Yuck! But life happens, and dirty diapers have been known to find their way inside of mommy's purse. No judgment here.
But still, I should clean my purse more often, and you should too.
Here are a few ways a dirty handbag may be affecting your health:
1. BACTERIA, GERMS & DIARRHEA OH MY!
I've seen my fair share of women who have placed their handbags on floor next to them when using a public restroom. By not going the extra step and putting your handbag on the door hanger located on the back of some public restroom stalls, you could be transferring all kinds of bacteria, including the germs that causes diarrhea, from the public restroom to your own home.
Microbiologist Chuck Gerba talked with ABC News about how the germ transaction goes down in the bathroom stall.
"We found fecal bacteria you normally find on the floor of restroom...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."
Surprisingly, some women said that they weren't worried about the germs on the bottom of their purses because they didn't lick the bottoms of their purses, therefore they didn't feel like they were in danger of getting sick. But Gerba disagrees. He said that whatever touches the bottom of your purse can compromise the things you ingest. For example, imagine putting your purse on your kitchen table, and then later, your kid drops some potato chips on that same table and eats them. Guess whose kid is eating a side of poop germs along with their potato chips? Yours.
2. YOUR PURSE HANDLE IS FILTHY TOO
Purse handles are a haven for germs. Donna Duberg, a professor of biomedical laboratory science at St. Louis University, told revealed to Yahoo! that our hands touch about 300 surfaces every 30 minutes, including desktops, bathroom sinks, restaurant and kitchen counters, and door handles. None of these surfaces are very well cleaned, if you get my drift.
What you're doing when you fail to clean your purse handle without cleaning your hands is transporting bacteria, and the kinds of bacteria that's transporting is alarming. Duberg told Yahoo!,
Germs found in and on purses can include E. coli, a coliform bacterium, which can be a source of food-borne illness; Staph aureus can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea as well as skin infections, and mold spores are everywhere but can stick to the leather and fabric of purses, readily available to cause mild respiratory distress and some of the viruses that cause colds and the flu.
3. CLEANLINESS IS THE BEST WAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM
The best way to transporting germs on your handbag is to first become an expert hand washer, which includes wiping down your purse handle when you bring your purse into a restroom.
Duberg also suggests that you wash your hands more often. She revealed to Women's Health:
Lathering up will not only help reduce the amount of bacteria you’re putting in and on your bag, but also the amount that you expose yourself to. “Having better hand hygiene breaks the cycle of infection.
How often you clean your purse would depend on your lifestyle. For instance, if you have pets or babies, you may find yourself cleaning your purse more often than a single woman who has more purses than hot dates.
Duberg also suggests that you get into a regular purse cleaning routine to help you fight off those bad germs.
Make cleaning your purse—and everything you carry in it—a weekly practice, suggests Duberg. For leather purses, look for disinfecting wipes that don’t contain bleach or alcohol and wipe down the exterior and interior. Remember to pay special attention to the parts that you touch the most, like handles and straps. As for bags made from cloth, wash them in cool water on a delicate cycle, and add just a bit of baby soap to the machine. This will get the bacteria down to a safer level, says Duberg.
4. CLEAN YOUR COMPACTS, LOTIONS, AND MAKEUP CASES TOO
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You should also clean off the surfaces of the makeup inside of your bag, and put it in a clean, fresh makeup bag during cleaning operations.
Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of the best-selling book The Germ Files told Yahoo! that the best makeup cases and compacts are rest havens for germs too. So pull out those Lysol wipes, and get to work.
“Makeup is a great place for bacterial and fungal growth; there are diagnostic tests to find the most harmful species,” said Tetro. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Aspergillus niger can cause a variety of irritations and possible infections.
5. DON'T FORGET TO CLEAN THE SURFACES OF YOUR KEYS AND YOUR MOBILE PHONE
Think about all of the times where you picked up your car keys or mobile phone knowing that your hands were filthy. Now think about how many times you've actually disinfected your car keys or phone of bacteria.
The truth is that not many people consider the cleaning of car keys or phones very often, which is dangerous. Keys are phones carry just as many germs as a toilet seat. Tetro said,
“Mobile devices were once considered to be low risk...But recent studies have shown that they can become covered with bacteria and viruses, including pathogens that can cause infections, particularly for those with weakened immune systems."
6. DON'T "JUST THROW IT IN YOUR BAG"
Whatever you do, don't put food, used tissues, or shoes in your handbag. Just don't do it. Duberg says that each of these items are moist, and creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. The best solution is for you to put food, shoes, and used tissues in its own plastic bag before throwing them in your purse.
Do you have any tips on how you clean your purses? Let us know in the comments below.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Between the rise of the creator economy and the gig economy, the window of opportunity to leverage your creativity for long-term gain has never been more potent.
For the last four years, I’ve worked as a full-time freelance writer and content creator. A year into this journey, I knew that if I wanted to create a sense of structure around my life outside of a traditional 9-5, I would have to create it.
To my surprise, that came in the form of social media.
Now, you might be wondering how someone might be able to juggle their work in a creatively-dominant career like writing while still having the mental capacity to produce ideas for their own personal brand, and well, that answer didn’t come easily.
In 2021, I hit a wall with writing and content creation.
With the stress and uncertainty that came as a result of the pandemic, to being burned out from having to live off my creativity, I reached a breaking point. For me, writing was always a space to explore my thoughts, process heavy topics, and express concepts that only words could bring reason to. However, when I didn’t have the brainpower to write or create content, I knew it was time to set parameters around my hobby of content creation and my passion for storytelling.
In this case, the biggest challenge was finding the balance between the two by releasing the guilt and shame of taking a break from both in order to reconnect with them.
Through years of trial and error, the fog finally cleared, and I was able to hit my stride in 2023. From garnering over 10K followers on TikTok, building an Instagram community around lifestyle and creative encouragement, along with my wellness collective, Black Girl Playground, and writing for xoNecole as a lifestyle contributor, the creative juices have been flowing steadily.
And it all happened by creating a strategy that allowed space for planning, resting, and creating. Today, I’ll be sharing my top tips to help you find your balance between your side hustle and passions.
On staying inspired and motivated when working on various content creation and freelancing projects:
Early this year, I came to the bright conclusion that I needed to shorten the gap between ideation and execution — and it completely changed how I create.
Oftentimes, when we have an idea come to us, we let it sit for too long, and then before we know it, we’ve either lost the enthusiasm to put it into action, or someone else grabs it. If you want to stay in a flow of creativity, whether side projects or full-time work, it’s important to not get slowed down by self-doubt, procrastination, or perfectionism.
Give yourself permission to act on your ideas as they come to you. Even if they’re a little muddy or not “perfect,” you can always fine-tune them later.
@yagirlaley shrinking the gap between [ideation] + [execution] 🧠💡#fyp #creativeadvice
On the importance of choosing a niche:
If there’s one thing that has helped me balance my work as a writer and content creator, it’s putting each in its own niche (or category). By definition, a niche is a specialized segment of the market or a specific area of expertise.
When you are creating in the same niche that you’re also making a living in, that’s an easy way to get your wires crossed. And at times, this could lead to feeling as if you don’t have any ideas for yourself because you’ve given them to the other area you're juggling.
When balancing two, you want to have enough fresh ideas to give to your personal projects and your full-time work to avoid any overlap. This ensures that your personal creative vision isn’t compromised when working on client projects while still having some for yourself.
On the strategies that have helped to maintain a consistent workflow in both areas:
I can’t stress enough how important it is to create a workflow and structure for yourself as a freelancer — this applies to those with a 9-5 in the day and a 5-9 at night, too.
As someone who admittedly has ADHD tendencies, object permanence can sometimes create a block in time and project management. That’s why I encourage creatives and professionals to create systems that allow you to see the work that’s ahead of you.
Personally, I can’t live without having multiple calendars going at once. My Google calendar keeps track of interviews for articles and events, while my physical calendar helps me keep track of important dates. I also work out of an Excel sheet where I can log in ongoing stories and track their status from drafting to submission. I’ve also heard great things about the Notion app for planning and tracking.
When it comes to creating content, spending time doing bulk content days has been an asset to my creative workflow. When I complete the videos, I save them to my drafts and upload them as needed.
Credit: Amberita
Courtesy of the writer
On the best advice for someone who is considering pursuing both content creation and freelancing simultaneously:
Don’t be ashamed of taking a break and resting — because both are essential to the life of a creative. Last month, I returned to Instagram after taking 6 months off from posting. During that time, I worked on growing my TikTok page, using the platform to practice vulnerability and allowing myself to put the fun back into creating content. Without the time, I can’t say I’d be able to approach Instagram with the same ease and playfulness; but thanks to that time away, it was possible.
Resting, letting our minds wander, or simply doing nothing are all just as productive as creating. No one can produce at all times, we have to allow ourselves the space for new concepts and ideas to flow to us. In addition to that, when we take breaks from social media, it allows us to stop the wheel of comparison and consume more than we create. So if you feel like you’re in a creative rut with all you want to balance, it may be time to take a step back, unapologetically.
Your creativity will thank you for it.
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Featured image by Sir Taylor