The present invention relates to an antimicrobial cleansing composition and a method of cleaning or disinfecting a surface. The invention more particularly relates to an antimicrobial cleansing composition that provides antimicrobial efficacy in cleaning applications having relatively short contact times. An object of the present invention is to provide an antimicrobial cleansing composition that exhibits biocidal activity in relatively short contact times of 1 minute to 10 seconds. Another object of the present invention is to provide an antimicrobial cleansing composition which exhibits antimicrobial activity at very low concentration of silver compound. A further object of the present invention is to provide an antimicrobial cleansing composition which has consumer-acceptable aesthetic properties. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an antimicrobial composition that is highly efficacious against a broad spectrum of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. We have determined that antibacterial activity in relatively short contact times against gram positive and gram negative microorganisms in a soap based cleansing composition having silver compound enhances considerably in presence of a further salt of carboxylic acid. It has been additionally found that the antibacterial activity is enhanced even at very low concentrations of silver compound.