Special Report: Carry with caution

We put our purses down everywhere.

Sydney, purse carrier
"On the ground."

Jillian, purse carrier 
"Bathroom stalls."

Holly, purse carrier  
"On the floor at a restaurant."

But have you ever thought about how dirty those floors can be? And what you're carrying away with you?

Holly
"Pretty gross, I never thought of that."

To find out what's on the bag, we tested five purses and made some disgusting discoveries.

The purses were covered in bacteria. One had levels so high, the test came back too numerous to count or TNTC.

We also found mold as well as lots of yeast and staph bacteria, which could cause severe skin infections.

Jillian
"It's disgusting, and considering I'm holding mine."

Erika, purse carrier   
"That's pretty bad. I definitly wanna throw that bag out."

The cloth purses were found to be dirtier than the leather or vinyl ones.

But the biggest purse problem is where you put down that bacteria-covered bag. Think about it. Your dirty purse goes on your kitchen counter or table is the same place you put your food.

Andrea Fontainem, Foods Research Labs
"Bacteria just needs a way to get from one point to another. So, the pocketbook serves as a means of moving the bacteria around."

Experts say you probably won't get sick from your purse, but you do need to handle it with care, which is something the women we spoke with admit they don't do.

Erika
"I don't usually clean it off too much."

Holly
"Not really, no. I will now!"

Here's what you should do: hang up your handbag, especially in public bathrooms. In your house, don't put it in places that should be free of germs, like your table. And use a disinfectant spray to get rid of any bacteria.

It's a lesson these women are now carrying away with them.

Related link:
The Purse Hook

(Copyright (c) 2006 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)