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Hidden horrors on your public transport journey

Have you ever wondered what bugs and bacteria lurk on public transport systems? Naturally, we have, and so armed with some swabs to test for germs and a BISSELL Stain Eraser to do a spot of cleaning, we visited the London Underground to see what we could find.

The results of the swab tests (conducted by an independent laboratory) were not entirely surprising – but still horrible – and revealed that we are sharing our tube journeys with E. Coli, commonly found in human and animal faeces. Not a nice thought when you consider how many people eat their breakfast on their morning commute…

Although swabs taken from emergency doors and side handles showed satisfactory levels of bacteria, samples from window frames and seats revealed varying levels including Enterobacteriaceae. This is a large family of bacteria which includes the more familiar pathogens such as Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus and can be found on the skin of around 35% of the population and in septic cuts, noses and throats.

Independent hygiene expert Dr Lisa Ackerley commented: “Bacteria are everywhere and most of them are completely harmless, if not beneficial. However, there are some bacteria and viruses that we need to avoid, and it is particularly disturbing that E. coli was found on a seat."

With this in mind, we challenged a commuter to take matters into his own hands. Equipped with a BISSELL Stain Eraser, he took a seat to task…you can watch the video here:

With 1.37 billion passengers using the London Underground each year, it’s no surprise that there are some levels of bacteria found as commuters squeeze onto packed trains. With carriages being cleaned on rotation throughout the year, vacuuming alone won’t remove the dirt and germs hidden deep within seat fibres – for this, a wet clean using a carpet cleaner such as BISSELL’s cordless handheld Stain Eraser is needed.

However, as we’re unlikely to carry a BISSELL Stain Eraser with us as we go about our day, Dr Lisa Ackerley has some tips on how you can ensure good hygiene when travelling:

  1.  Wash your hands as soon as you can after travelling or use a hand gel if you’re taking a particularly long commute
  2.  Avoid rubbing or touching your eyes as this can cause you to infect yourself with cold or flu viruses
  3.  Don’t eat on the tube – think about where your hands have been and where they are going
  4.  If you’ve placed your bag on a seat or the floor don’t plonk it on your kitchen worktop when you get home as this will spread bacteria to areas where you’re going to be preparing food. Yuk!
  5.  Keep your home clean by regularly washing carpets and leaving shoes by the door so that you aren’t treading harmful microbes around the house

Whilst we don’t expect you to clean every public transport seat that you sit on, the same hygiene rules should apply to your home too, especially now that so many families eat their dinner on the sofa in front of the TV.To help, the BISSELL Stain Eraser is perfect for removing spots and stains around the home whether you’ve knocked over a glass of wine on the sofa, tracked mud into the car or your pet has toileted on your favourite rug. With its cordless function, this compact, handheld cleaner easily removes stains before they have time to soak into your carpets and furnishings.

To help, the BISSELL Stain Eraser is perfect for removing spots and stains around the home whether you’ve knocked over a glass of wine on the sofa, tracked mud into the car or your pet has toileted on your favourite rug. With its cordless function, this compact, handheld cleaner easily removes stains before they have time to soak into your carpets and furnishings.