Individuals Can Transfer Illness-causing Germs to Soft Surfaces

A study by Reckitt’s Lysol^® Pro Solutions has found that soft surfaces can be contaminated when people with respiratory infections such as cold or flu cough or sneeze on them directly. The research examined whether germs present in the upper respiratory tract of the ill participants were also the dominant microorganisms found on fabrics after coughing and sneezing on them.

The results revealed the following insights:

• Thousands of organisms can be transferred to fabric from sick individuals in the process of coughing and sneezing on them directly.
• Sneezing leads to a higher average level of virus transfer to fabric compared to coughing.
• The germs responsible for flu and the common cold may be transferred relatively easily to fabrics.
• The virus that causes common cold can survive on fabric for at least six hours.

Contaminated fabrics can spread germs to people who encounter them, the study found. A potential risk also exists for the transfer of germs to individuals that touch fabric exposed to coughs and/or sneezes from people with upper respiratory infections.

A combination of good hand hygiene, hard surface disinfection and often forgotten soft surface disinfection can help prevent the spread of germs in facilities and help protect staff and customers from exposure to these germs.

“This study reinforces the importance of helping protect people from the spread of germs via soft surfaces, as a part of a holistic hygiene program,” said Ann Marie De Luca, Reckitt’s Lysol Pro Solutions R&D manager of microbiology. “Cleaning and disinfection efforts are often focused solely on hard, nonporous surfaces but our work reveals the importance of targeting soft surfaces in order to help protect both home and business environments.”