What You Touch, You carry: The Invisible Risks of Poor Surface Hygiene

Everyday surfaces look clean, but they may be carrying invisible passengers, the germs that follow you wherever you go.

Surfaces as silent carriers

High-touch surfaces are germ hotspots:

• Door handles and elevator buttons
• Handrails and public restroom area
• Phones and keyboards
• Shopping carts and gym equipment
• Hospital beds and linens

What about biofunctional textile?

Frequent contact by multiple people without regular disinfection makes them reservoirs for pathogens. Hands transfer germs rapidly to the face, common touchpoints that invite infection. Even visually “clean” surfaces can be microbiologically contaminated.

What lurks on them?

• Public restrooms can harbor E. coli, coliforms, and multidrug-resistant bacteria.
• A 2025 MDPI study found that in public facilities, the toilet flush handle carried the greatest E. coli risk.
• A surveillance study of 32 mall restrooms detected Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and other pathogens on high-touch surfaces.

In a U.S. study, 72% of shopping carts had coliform bacteria, and 51% had E. coli. Some carts carried up to 11 million bacterial cells! SARS-CoV-2 RNA has also been detected on about 32.5% of shopping cart handles, 23% of ATMs, and 16.7% of elevator buttons in retail setting.

In airport settings, over 25,900 surface touches were tracked in a single study with norovirus infection risk. High-touch hospital surfaces like bedrails, call buttons, keyboards, slit lamps, and workstations harbor dangerous pathogens including MRSA, Acinetobacter, E. coli, C. difficile, and more.

How the germs spread

Through surface-mediated transmission
Step 1 – Shedding: An infected person sheds pathogens (through coughing, sneezing, or touching). Germs land on hands or directly on a surface.
Step 2 – Persistence: Pathogens survive on surfaces for hours to days, depending on the material and environment.
Step 3 – Transfer: A susceptible person touches the contaminated surface, transferring germs to their hands. Germs then reach the mouth, nose, or eyes.
Step 4 – Infection: Once inside the body, the pathogens can multiply and cause illness.

Poor surface hygiene leads to

Maintaining surface hygiene

• Clean first – remove dust & dirt with soap + water.
• Disinfect after – use alcohol (70%), bleach, or approve disinfectant.
• Focus on high – touch spots – phones, handles, switches, desks.
• Let disinfectant sit – wait a few minutes before wiping.
• Stay safe – wear gloves, keep rooms ventilated.

Biorism 360° Multi-Surface Disinfectant (Redefining the Future of Disinfection)

Biorism 360° formulation stabilizes antimicrobial agents for maximum efficiency, delivering proven protection that lasts up to 72 hours in lab tests.

A disinfectant shouldn’t just kill germs on contact. It should provide long-lasting defense, ensuring truly hygienic, worry-free surfaces.

Reduce daily cleaning, lower supply costs, and ensure top protection while staying safe and sustainable. That’s the real value Biorism 360° delivers to workplaces, homes, healthcare, and hospitality.

References:

• Ibrahim, Khadega et al. “Surveillance of Bacterial Load and Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria on Surfaces of Public Restrooms.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 21,5 574. 30 Apr. 2024, doi:10.3390/ijerph21050574
• Zhang, Nan et al. “Public surface disinfection every 2 hours can reduce the infection risk of norovirus in airports up to 83.” PLoS computational biology vol. 20,12 e1012561. 5 Dec. 2024, doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012561
• Dancer, Stephanie J. “The role of environmental cleaning in the control of hospital-acquired infection.”Journal of hospital Infection 73.4 (2009): 378-385.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence and Burden of Healthcare-Associated Infections, 2016–2021, Statistical Brief #313, October 2024.
• Clean Workspaces UK, and Institute for Workplace Health. “Study Links Hygiene Protocols to Reduced Absenteeism.” Clean Workspaces UK Press Office, 15 Mar. 2025
• World Health Organization. “Improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene can save 1.4 million lives per year.” WHO News Release, 28 June 2023.
• Kampf, Günter, et al. “Persistence of Coronaviruses on Inanimate Surfaces and Their Inactivation with Biocidal Agents.” Journal of Hospital Infection, vol. 104, no. 3, 2020, pp. 246–51.

The article is prepared by Biorism Scientist, Dr Maisarah, (PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology).