Submitted
2025 Global Health Challenge

CleanRoll

Team Leader
Saliba Taimeh
CleanRoll: A Sanitization Solution for Public Transit CleanRoll is an innovative system designed to keep public transportation handrails and poles germ-free. It uses UV-C light technology to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, making travel safer and cleaner for passengers. How It Works CleanRoll embeds small UV-C lights directly into handrails and poles on buses, trains, and subways. These lights...
What is the name of your organization?
Ilm innovation
What is the name of your solution?
CleanRoll
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
CleanRoll uses UV-C light safely to sanitize handrails and poles in public transportation, enhancing passenger safety by eliminating germs
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Amman, Jordan
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
JOR
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
The Problem Public transportation is a hotspot for germ transmission due to frequent contact with contaminated surfaces like handrails. Scale of the Problem Globally: Over 50 billion passenger trips yearly expose billions to germs. Subway handrails can harbor 2 million bacteria per square inch, linked to 4 million respiratory deaths annually (WHO). Locally: New York’s MTA serves 5 million daily passengers, with higher illness rates in flu season. People Affected Globally: Billions of urban residents. Locally: Millions of daily commuters in cities like New York. Contributing Factors & Solution High Surface Contact: Passengers touch germ-laden surfaces. SafeGrip uses UV-C light to sanitize them. Inadequate Sanitation: Limited cleaning lets germs thrive. CleanRoll offers continuous sanitization. Crowded Conditions: Overcrowding boosts risks. CleanRoll reduces surface germs. CleanRoll eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, enhancing transit safety
What is your solution?
CleanRoll: A Sanitization Solution for Public Transit CleanRoll is an innovative system designed to keep public transportation handrails and poles germ-free. It uses UV-C light technology to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, making travel safer and cleaner for passengers. How It Works CleanRoll embeds small UV-C lights directly into handrails and poles on buses, trains, and subways. These lights turn on automatically when no one is touching the surfaces—like between passenger grips or when the vehicle is stopped. This ensures the surfaces are continuously sanitized without interrupting use. The Technology UV-C light is a type of ultraviolet light that destroys the DNA and RNA of germs, stopping them from multiplying and causing infections. It’s a proven, safe technology widely used for sanitization. In CleanRoll, the UV-C light is contained so it only targets the surfaces, keeping passengers safe from exposure. What It Does By keeping handrails and poles clean, CleanRoll reduces the spread of germs in crowded transit systems. It creates a healthier environment for commuters, making public transportation a more appealing and safer choice every day
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
CleanRoll serves commuters who rely on public transportation, such as buses, trains, and subways. This target population includes diverse groups like low-income individuals, students, and the elderly, who often lack access to private transport and depend on these systems for daily travel to work, school, or other activities. Currently, they are underserved due to poor sanitation in transit systems. Frequently touched surfaces like handrails and poles are breeding grounds for germs and viruses, increasing the risk of illness, especially in crowded urban settings. Traditional cleaning methods—infrequent and manual—are insufficient to maintain hygiene. CleanRoll addresses these needs with UV-C light technology embedded in handrails and poles, automatically sanitizing them when not in use. This eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, creating a cleaner, safer environment for passengers. By reducing infection risks, CleanRoll improves the commuting experience, making public transit more appealing and reliable. It also enhances public health by curbing illness spread, particularly during flu seasons or pandemics. Ultimately, CleanRoll empowers underserved commuters with a healthier travel option, boosting their quality of life and confidence in public transportation.
Solution Team:
Saliba Taimeh
Saliba Taimeh