The Inside of Your Car is Dirtier Than a Toilet, Study Finds
After door handles, computer keyboards and hotel room remotes, the cleanliness of our vehicles is now being scrutinized.
According to a study conducted by the School of Biosciences at Aston University (UK) for the Scrap Car Comparison website, the interior of a car contains more microbes and fecal coliforms than the average toilet.
What's That?
The researchers tested five different vehicles - one of which was only two years old - and found a surprising amount of fecal coliform in each. The most contaminated area was the trunk, probably because that's where most people carry their groceries. By the way, do you always wash your food before eating it?
Here is a list of the places where scientists found the most microbes and fecal coliforms:
- Trunk
- Driver's seat
- Gearshift lever
- Rear seat
- Dashboard
Surprisingly, the steering wheel is one of the cleanest places in a vehicle, even though we spend most of our time on it while driving. Why is this? The widespread use of hand sanitizer since the start of the pandemic could be the explanation.
"We shouldn't worry too much become paranoid, but people need to remember that dirt isn't always visible," says microbiologist Jonathan Cox, who participated in the study.
In short, you should think twice before eating in your car or leaving garbage lying around. A proper cleaning on a regular basis and a deep, thorough cleaning once a season is the least you can do. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your passengers!