Tag Archives: germs

I’m Not A (Clean) Plastic Bag

Bianca PosterliJune 28, 2010 //

Hopefully by now, everyone’s invested in a few reusable totes for grocery trips instead of ruining the environment with plastic bags. But while you’re being all green and eco-friendly, it’s important to remember that between schlepping groceries, gym clothes, and random finds around town, more than a few germs have most likely found their way inside that tote bag. A recent study tested 84 bags from shoppers in Tucson, LA, and SF and found that 12% contained e. coli and over half held other harmful bacteria. Sounds pretty shocking, but when you think about it, this really shouldn’t be news, especially if you’re dumping raw meat inside those canvas bags. Multiply that by the amount of years you’ve owned your eco-friendly bag, and that’s months of bacteria just festering at the bottom. Sufficiently grossed out? We suggest you get to laundering. [Consumerist] Keep reading »

Hand Sanitizer Grows Up With CLEAN

Lily QJune 11, 2010 //

Sorry to those of you who religiously carry Purell in your purses, but that stuff just makes me feel stickier than I was before using it. Whether it’s the chemicals or the faux green color or the noxious, hospital-like smell that does it is hard to say, but hand sanitizer kind of curdles my stomach. Or it did until I came across CLEAN, anyway. Made without dyes and synthetic ingredients, CLEAN is a combo moisturizer/germ fighter and quite possibly the mortal enemy of Purell. Yes, it’s pricier than everyone’s favorite hand-sanitizing standby, but it’s also a lot better for you and keeps your mits soft while murdering bacteria. We’ll pay a little extra for that sort of multitasking. [$10, CLEAN, Sephora] Keep reading »

Put Down That Lipstick Sample! (It Might Have Feces On It)

Leonora EpsteinApril 22, 2010 //

There are certain things in life you may choose to turn a blind eye to. Your credit card bill. The amount of calories in a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. The lack of rationale behind the five-second rule. Similarly, when you’re browsing lipstick samples or even ducking into a Sephora for a quickie touch-up (as we often do en route to the bar), you probably choose not to think about what exactly you’re putting onto your face. A disturbing article in the L.A. Times about germs on makeup testers confirms what you really, really don’t want to believe. Keep reading »

Do You Wash New Clothes Before You Wear Them?

Erin FlahertyJanuary 14, 2010 //

OK, so forgive me for missing this crazy-ass “Good Morning America” report last week, but after coming across it today, I could stand silent no more and simply had to share: Turns out, new clothes are so freakin’ filthy and disgusting that even I am grossed out by them, and that’s saying a lot. Not sure about you folks, but, personally, I never wash new clothes before wearing them. Maybe I would — and something always told me I probably should — but I live in NYC so I don’t have a washer and dryer and it’s an expensive time suck to do laundry. (That said, I do get around to it. Eventually.) Anyway, sneaky “GMA” investigators bought a bunch of new shirts and crap, and then had a microbiologist test the fabric for contamination.

Ladies and gentlemen, the results will shock you.
Keep reading »

Haute Germs: Are Handbags Making Us Sick?

DivineCaroline.comJune 21, 2009 //

With all the recent swine flu hoopla, even the most hygienically-lax of us have begun giving second thoughts to our cleanliness—soaping up for at least fifteen seconds, coughing into our elbows, and using antibacterial gel every time we enter a new room. There are endless opportunities to sterilize and re-sterilize, and it seems that we intend to use all of them as often as humanly possible. We’re nothing if not clean at this point, right? Well, true for our hands, but what about one of those other appendages women use just as much—our purse? Keep reading »

Your Computer Is Home To Many Unwelcome Friends

Catherine StrawnMay 1, 2008 //

The toilets in public restrooms might look disgusting, but right now you’re touching something that could be even more covered in germs. A microbiologist in the U.K. examined samples from 33 keyboards and found a variety of nasty bugs, including E. coli and coliform bacteria, which is associated with fecal matter. One of the keyboards he inspected had to be removed from the office because it was FIVE times dirtier than the toilet seat and had 150 times the acceptable limit of bacteria. Gross. Basically, you have a choice: either wash your hands after going to the bathroom, or don’t eat anything after touching your keyboard. [The Guardian, U.K.] Keep reading »