Handbag Hygiene

Bitches, stop placing your handbags on the floor. 

Bathroom floors, particularly those in public spaces are notoriously germ-ridden. Think of the bodily fluids lurking there. Harmful bacteria can transfer from the floor to your purse and then to you. 

Hang your handbag on the door handle instead. If no door handle is available, hang the bag around your neck. Yes, I've done this, and then complained to management about the lack of door handles in the restroom stalls. 

It's not just bodily fluids that are lurking in the stalls so double-wrap the handbag handle around the door handle to deter purse snatchers who may try to reach over from the neighbouring stall and steal it.

If germs aren't enough to convince you to hang up your handbag, consider this: my friend's purse was stolen while she was on the loo. She had set her handbag on the floor. Someone in the next stall simply reached under and grabbed it. You Bitches can get your knickers down in record time but nobody can get their pants up quickly enough to catch a purse-snatcher.

Once you've arrived home, avoid setting your handbag on a kitchen counter or dining room table or bed where the bacteria may once again transfer.

It's not just the bottom of your bag that's a concern. Studies have found that the dirtiest part of the bag is the handle—it carries more bacteria than the average toilet seat!

And that shopping cart in the photo? Shopping carts have been found to contain saliva, bacteria and even fecal matter.

Your opinions and suggestions are welcome.

Teabag Tuesday

You may want to think twice before reaching for those office teabags...

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A study found that boxes of workplace teabags contain 17 times more bacteria than a ­toilet seat.



Researchers at Initial Washroom Hygiene swabbed a variety of everyday office items, and found that the microbial levels as follows:

1. Tea bag box/tin - 3,785

2. Kettle handle - 2,483

3. Rim of used mug - 1,746

4. Fridge door handle - 1,592

5. Sugar container - 1,406

6. Kitchen tap - 1,331

7. Sink surface/drying rack - 1,234

8. Hot water tap - 1,160

9. Kitchen top - 948

10. Cutlery drawer handle - 754

A toilet seat registered just over 220.

Low: less than 200.
Normal: 200-500.
High: more than 500.


You might want to brew your own cup of tea and use your own cup. A poll of office workers found 80 per cent did not wash their hands before making drinks for colleagues, while one in three did not wash out mugs before topping them up. And one in 20 people also deliberately gave colleagues the ‘wrong mug.’


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We here at Infomaniac remind you to stay healthy in 2018.

Public Service Announcement #36

Think twice before calling room service. Studies show that hotel phones have high levels of bodily fluid residue on them…


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Telephone keypads in hotel rooms were found to be teeming with over double the acceptable amount of bacteria; far more, in fact, than bathroom door handles.

Experts suggest that hotel guests protect themselves from bacteria by washing their hands, using hand sanitizer and wiping down surfaces with disinfectant wipes.

This has been an Infomaniac Public Service Announcement.

Public Service Announcement #34

Wash your hands after using the toilet...


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This has been an Infomaniac Public Service Announcement.

Public Service Announcement #33

Do you lick your fingers to flip the pages of books, magazines or newspapers?...


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Stop it. Stop it, right NOW.

We do not want your germs.

Unless it's your own personal property and you don't plan on lending it to someone else, do NOT lick your fingers to turn the pages.

Same goes when you're at the office and handing out pages of a report to your colleagues. No finger licking to separate one page from another.

You work in retail and you're counting money into the customer's hand? No finger licking to separate the bills.

If you really need to get a grip, there are products on the market such as rubber finger tips...



Or finger cots...



The Mistress has spoken.

This has been an Infomaniac Public Service Announcement.

Hand-Drying Hygiene

When was the last time you saw one of these in a public lavatory?...


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Aside from being unhygienic, the continuous cloth towel roll frequently jammed.

So how should we dry our hands? Paper towels? Warm air hand dryers?



Studies have found that "hand dryers harbour bacteria and can blast germs into the atmosphere and promote infection."

Another study suggests that "paper towels are more efficient because they dry hands quicker and prevent transfer of germs."

Yet another study concludes that "paper towels and warm air hand dryers have the highest environmental toll."

Then there's the Dyson Airblade. Here we see Sir James Dyson of vacuum cleaner fame who states that "the Dyson Airblade hand dryers dry hands quickly and that the digital motor self-adjusts 6,000 times a second to maintain optimum efficiency."

I'm seeing more and more of these in public toilets. The hand dryer, that is...NOT Sir James.

Dyson's come up with another hand-drying innovation...the Dyson Airblade Tap Hand Dryer (click illustration to enlarge)...

The Dyson Airblade Tap Hand Dryer combines a faucet and a hand dryer, letting users dry their hands at the sink, rather than hiking over to a hand dryer and letting water drip all over the floor. Dyson thinks it ultimately "ought to be in everybody's house" as it's more hygienic than using and re-using hand towels. But with a price tag of £999, we won't be seeing one soon in the Infomaniac salle de bain. If you want to see how it works, click here for a video clip.

So how do you dry your hands in a public toilet facility?

For Your Protection

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Infomaniac: ventilated and disinfected every day, for your protection.


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Dishwasher Fungus

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How do you wash your dishes? Choose one of the following answers:

1. Dishwasher.
2. By hand.
3. I throw them out the window when they're dirty; a trick I learned from Lisa Douglas on Green Acres...



If you answered "#1. Dishwasher," be warned. Your dishwasher may be trying to kill you.

This is old news to those of you who read "Fungal Biology" but for the rest of you, be aware that studies have found that dishwashers are the perfect host for extremotolerant fungi, which includes black yeast, a type of yeast potentially dangerous to human health. The fungi are tolerant to heat, detergents and salt, allowing them to thrive and grow in the dishwasher environment -- especially on the rubber band of dishwasher doors.

Black yeast can cause disease in both healthy and compromised immune systems. If inhaled, these fungi can colonize the lungs and cause infections that can be difficult to treat. People who are taking antibiotics and those with poor immune systems, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis are at greater risk of lung and skin infections caused by the fungi.

What can you do to banish fungi from your dishwasher?

Follow these steps, as found here:

Baking soda, vinegar, and bleach may help to kill mold, mildew, and fungi growing on the inside surfaces of your dishwasher. This cleaning regimen should be done once per month to prevent fungi from taking hold.

Start by removing all racks and washing them by hand in hot soapy water. Use a soapy sponge to wipe down the dishwasher's interior surfaces and around the rubber door seal. Let everything air dry thoroughly.

Combine a half cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of hot water in a spray bottle. Spray all surfaces thoroughly and scrub with an old toothbrush around the crevices and seal. Use a scrub brush for large surfaces.

Put the racks back into the dishwasher. Fill a small glass bowl with vinegar and place it on the top rack. Run the washer on the hottest setting. Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda on the dishwasher floor and run the machine a second time on high heat.

Finish by running the washer with a commercial dishwasher cleaner, followed by hand cleaning all surfaces with a four-to-one mixture of hot water and bleach.


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This all seems like rather a lot of bother, doesn't it?

Mistress MJ advises you to give this task to your houseboys.

NOTE: Mistress MJ is in the habit of cleaning her dishwasher on a monthly basis as a matter of hygiene and to keep it smelling fresh. However, I had no idea there is an actual FUNGUS capable of thriving in the dishwasher! Nonetheless, dishwasher fungus is the least of my worries at the moment so unless I see THIS winking at me...


dishwasher fungus "Exophiala dermatitidis"...also found in washing machines

...I'll be on the fainting chaise with a cocktail.

Public Service Announcement #19

With summer in full swing and everyone making picnic plans, we here at Infomaniac would like to remind you about the importance of hygiene.


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A report reveals that 76% of people surveyed assumed that Porta-Potties were full of germs and bacteria, but in fact they have less germs than a picnic table!

Protect! Don't infect!


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This has been an Infomaniac Public Service Announcement.

Shopping Germs

If you’re like Mistress MJ and you

a.) Carry not one, not two, but THREE different types of anti-bacterial products in your handbag.
b.) Flush public toilets with your foot.
c.) Wash new clothes before you wear them.

Read on…

Planning a shopping excursion this holiday season?

Protect yourself from the 8 GERMIEST PLACES in the mall …

1. Restroom sinks
2. Food court tables
3. Escalator handrails
4. ATM handpads
5. Toy stores
6. Fitting rooms
7. Gadget shops
8. Makeup samples

Read the full story here for the sickening details.

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*dons hazmat suit before heading out the door*

The Scourge

What are you bitches doing this weekend?

(click to enlarge)
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Mistress MJ is busy inspecting and sanitizing her toilet seats to protect against THE SCOURGE.

We suggest you do the same.