A method for mercurisation of a cellulose-containing carrier material or article obtained from said carrier material, for imparting bactericidal and virucidal activity to said carrier material, said method comprising: providing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble mercury-containing compound, a porous substrate and the cellulose-containing carrier material; contacting said porous substrate with said aqueous solution of the mercury-containing compound or soaking said porous substrate into said aqueous solution of the mercury-containing compound; placing said carrier material of Step in a direct contact with and on top of said porous substrate obtained in Step (wetted with or soaked in said aqueous solution of the mercury-containing compound) and pressing said cellulose-containing carrier material to ensure rapid diffusion of the mercury ions from the porous substrate into the carrier material; placing the wet carrier material obtained in Step and containing diffused mercury ions in a horizontal position and irradiating said wet carrier material with full-spectrum bright light, thereby carrying out a photochemically initiated radical reaction of the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from cellulose molecules of the carrier material, and binding said mercury ions to cellulose molecules within the carrier material, wherein said mercury ions become tightly bound to the carrier material and consequently, impart bactericidal and virucidal properties to said carrier material; intermediate rinsing of the carrier material obtained in Step with running water; fixing the rinsed carrier material obtained in Step, which contains the bound mercury ions, by shortly immersing said carrier material into a hot aqueous solution of alkali, thereby hydrating and neutralising the bound mercury ions; washing and rinsing the carrier material obtained in Step with running water several times to remove water-soluble salts and water-insoluble (precipitated) oxides of mercury-containing compounds which did not react in the photochemical reaction; and air or vacuum drying of the washed carrier material from Step to obtain the ready-to-use carrier material having bactericidal and virucidal properties. providing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble mercury-containing compound, a porous substrate and the cellulose-containing carrier material; contacting said porous substrate with said aqueous solution of the mercury-containing compound or soaking said porous substrate into said aqueous solution of the mercury-containing compound; placing said carrier material of Step in a direct contact with and on top of said porous substrate obtained in Step (wetted with or soaked in said aqueous solution of the mercury-containing compound) and pressing said cellulose-containing carrier material to ensure rapid diffusion of the mercury ions from the porous substrate into the carrier material; placing the wet carrier material obtained in Step and containing diffused mercury ions in a horizontal position and irradiating said wet carrier material with full-spectrum bright light, thereby carrying out a photochemically initiated radical reaction of the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from cellulose molecules of the carrier material, and binding said mercury ions to cellulose molecules within the carrier material, wherein said mercury ions become tightly bound to the carrier material and consequently, impart bactericidal and virucidal properties to said carrier material; intermediate rinsing of the carrier material obtained in Step with running water; fixing the rinsed carrier material obtained in Step, which contains the bound mercury ions, by shortly immersing said carrier material into a hot aqueous solution of alkali, thereby hydrating and neutralising the bound mercury ions; washing and rinsing the carrier material obtained in Step with running water several times to remove water-soluble salts and water-insoluble (precipitated) oxides of mercury-containing compounds which did not react in the photochemical reaction; and air or vacuum drying of the washed carrier material from Step to obtain the ready-to-use carrier material having bactericidal and virucidal properties.