How clean is the London commute?

Ever wondered how clean is the tube seat that you have been using every day to travel around London?  Or

How clean is the red double decker bus seat or the backseat of famous London black cab?

FREE RESOURCE: download our free guide to creating a cleaner and greener office, with a handy printable checklist at the end

Zipjet- a dry cleaning company undertook a research to see if we share seats with bacteria or any harmful micro-organisms while travelling in the three major cities of Europe- London, Berlin and Paris?  Please read below to get enlightened about London !

The Research

Samples were taken from locations where passengers cloths and hands frequently come into contact with shared spaces during their daily travels i.e. a bench in London Victoria Station, 5 seats and hand rails on London underground, 5 chairs of red double decker buses, the backseats of 5 black cabs and the backseat of five Uber cars.

Findings

Surprisingly, the dirtiest mode of public transport in London is the famous London black cab! The seats were found to have high concentration of Enterobacteria and Enterococci, pathogens associated with salmonella, e-coli and faecal contamination.This type of bacteria originates in Human & Animal faeces and the gut and can cause Gastrointestinal infections and food poisoning.

A seat on London Underground was also found very dirty as high level of contaminants originating from the mouth and human gut were found i.e. Streptococcus and strains of bacteria associated with food poisoning, UTIs and gastrointestinal infections.

The Uber cars were found to be least contaminated mode of transport in London.

The double decker bus was the second cleanest. However, there was a high level of Non-fermenting gramnegative rod that originates in stagnate water e.g. puddles, sewage pipes. This can cause Ear infections from swimming), pneumonia ( from infected mechanical ventilation).

Victoria bench was the second most contaminated location on the commute with high level of spore forming gram positive rods and Bacillus cereus. This can cause food poisoning if coming into contact with food.

Conclusion

Although most bacteria are harmless to healthy individuals, some can have a negative effect on the those with weak immune systems. Please take following basic precautions after using the public transportation:

1. Wash your hands regularly after using the public transport especially before eating.
2. Keep clothes clean by washing at 30-60 degrees
3. Cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when sneezing
4. Clean work surfaces such as your office desks regularly.
5. Sanitise your computer keyboard, mice and phones on periodic basis.

FYI - Green FM can help you in keeping your office environment clean & tidy by using non-toxic chemicals. If interested please contact me directly on manu@greenfacilities.co.uk .

Source www.zipjet.co.uk and C & M.