I've often thought. On non-porous surfaces, germs probably just die of old age eventually, don't they? Like if you take out the garbage, and touch the door knob as you come back in the house, you really don't have to sanitize the knob. Do you? You should wash your hands. But that's different isn't it?
Germ is a generic term, used to describe any pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa that can cause disease or sickness. Being microscopic, they rarely land on a surface without their food, which is normally saliva, food residue, or excrement. Their life depends on how long it takes for their food to be exhausted of dry out. Temperature can also be a factor. Going through every virus, fungi and protozoa would take me hours, while bacteria, which are not always pathogenic would take me days.
