August 25, 2019
All About Touchscreen Germs


Touchscreen technology has become part of our everyday lives with many of us owning a smartphone or laptop that relies on it. Retailers, banks and other businesses use them at point of sale or ATMs. In restaurants we often see our food orders being tapped into PDAs (Palm held Personal Digital Assistant). Even GP’s and hospitals use them for patients to confirm their arrival!

So, if the touchscreen has multiple uses by multiple users the end result means multiple germs on its surface! In fact, if not cleaned, it will be crawling with them 🤢

Evidence shows that after swabbing, many touchscreens have faecal bacteria, Staphylococcus and Listeria on them. The majority of these bacteria originate from people’s intestines, gut, nose, mouth, throat, and obviously faeces.

The evidence

A study conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London found that “the most likely reason for the potentially harmful bacteria festering on so many gadgets is people failing to wash their hands properly with soap after going to the toilet.” The report goes on to state that “although 95% of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, 92% of phones and 82% of hands had bacteria on them”.

Unfortunately, some of us also have a habit of taking smartphones, tablets and yes even laptops (!) to the loo so the risk of germ transfer is increased. The heat generated by the screens themselves, will create the perfect breeding ground too.

Because faecal bacteria can survive on hands and hard surfaces for hours after transfer, it is essential that both hands and surfaces are regularly cleaned with a detergent that will kill the bacteria.

Cleaning and hygiene

Given that we are surrounded by so many bugs in the public and workplaces, sickness often occurs, and productivity can be affected. Cleaning Assurance believes this can be overcome by consistency of cleaning and hygiene plus using the right products.

Cleaning Assurance uses chemicals that pass EN 1276 which kills bacteria in dirty conditions. BS EN 1276 is the European standard for the bactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants as proof of effective infection control against harmful micro-organisms such as MRSA, Salmonella, E.Coli, Flu Virus (H1N1) and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. In order to pass this standard, products have been tested by an independent laboratory and must prove a bacteria kill rate of 99.999% within 5 minutes.

It’s also about paying attention to the detail and having highly trained cleaning operatives with solid processes to ensure best cleaning practices. Cleaning Assurance takes pride in cleaning office buildings and business premises as if they are our own.

If you would like all the benefits of having a clean workplace then Cleaning Assurance has the solution for you. If you are currently looking to contract an exceptional professional cleaning service provider or are coming to the end of an existing contract, we’d like to help. Contact us today to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, click here and make an appointment.