4/3/2018
Subways, floors and restaurants are teeming with germs, and purses easily become vessels for carrying bacteria into your home.
However, there's another reason to avoid placing your bag on dirty surfaces: resale value.
At high-end consignment shops, websites and apps like Rue La La, The Real Real, and Rebag, wear-and-tear on a luxury purse can cost sellers thousands of dollars.
"There is an old saying that goes 'A purse on the floor is money out the door,' and we know this to be true, Sarah Davis, founder of Fashionphile, the largest reseller of luxury handbags and accessories online, told INSIDER. "While sitting a bag on the floor alone may not damage the bag, it's a small glimpse of a bigger picture in the way that a bag is regularly treated."
Purses should be kept in the dust bags they come with or a cotton pillowcase, according to Rachel Koffsky, an expert from auction house Christie's. Likewise, the bag should be stuffed with acid-free tissue paper to keep the bag's shape, she said.
A bag can be maintained at home with an alcohol-free baby wipe or a damp paper towel, Koffsky said. For a deeper clean, head to an expert like Leather Spa.
For germ maintenance, "purses should be wiped down with disinfectant wipes periodically as they tend to be exposed to high-touch surfaces, like a kitchen counter-top or dining room table," Jane Trombetta, a registered nurse at MedExpress, told INSIDER.
The best rule of thumb is to keep purses away from floors, regardless if it's tile, hardwood or carpet, Trombetta said.
She noted that carpets are especially dirty because they are difficult to clean and dust and germs often get trapped in the fibers.
"Even if you clean your floors regularly, you can't control what other people do in their homes, what shop owners or restaurant owners do," Caitlin Hoff, health and safety investigator at Consumer Safety, told INSIDER. "There is no telling where bacteria lurks in your day, so it is best to keep your personal belongings away from the floor where the majority of grime is tracked in."
Keeping a purse clean using these tips will help maintain the resale value, especially as the shared economy has created a renewed interest in buying luxury purses.
Courtesy of Business Insider. Original article can be read here.