As key healthcare-associated pathogens have the capacity to persist for weeks to months on hospital surfaces indirect transmission is a serious threat, especially as antimicrobial resistance increases. Hospitalization in a room in which the previous patient had been colonized or infected with nosocomial pathogens (e.g. MRSA, VRE, multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas or C. difficile) has been shown to be a risk factor for colonization of infection with the same pathogen for the next patient16. Furthermore, the most important risk factor for hand and glove contamination of healthcare workers with multidrug-resistant bacteria has been demonstrated to be positive environmental cultures 17. To decrease the frequency and level of contamination of environmental surfaces the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine disinfection of medical equipment and environmental surfaces to prevent the spread of potential pathogens through the hospital ward or ICU 18. Improved room cleaning has shown to decrease the risk for MRSA, VRE and C. difficile acquisition. Unfortunately, environmental cleaning is frequently inadequate. Less than 50% of hospital room surfaces are adequately cleaned and disinfected even by environmental services personnel. Environmental services personnel have low wages, are under time pressure to clean rooms quickly with high turn-over rates of patients. Novel materials and cleaning technologies have been developed as ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) or hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV). However, both technologies are expensive and can just be used for terminal cleaning and not during routine daily care 16. Self-disinfecting surfaces may overcome these problems. Once applied antimicrobial surfaces will continuously reduce the bioburden of nosocomial pathogens preventing transmission and decrease HAIs.