Cars are not only dirty outside, they pollute the atmosphere with CO2 emissions – they are also dirty inside, more than you can imagine.
The interior of a car can hold significantly higher levels of germs than the average toilet seat, according to a study by researchers at Aston University in Birmingham, UK.
The researchers collected swab samples from the inside of five used cars and compared them with coatings from two toilets.
In most cases, they say they found high levels of bacteria in cars, equal to or more than the bacterial infection found in toilets.
Higher concentrations of bacteria were discovered in the trunk of the car.
Next was the driver’s seat, followed by the gear, the rear seat and the dashboard.
The steering wheels had the lowest amounts of bacteria of all the areas examined by the researchers. They say this is possible because people have used more hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic than before.
E. coli in the trunk
Jonathan Cox, a microbiologist and lead author of the study, told DW that they found large traces of E. coli in the trunk or trunk of cars.
“We tend to care a little less about the cleanliness of our car trunks, because it is the main place where we place things to move them from A to B,” Cox said.
People often carry pets or muddy shoes in the trunk, Cox said, and that may explain the high levels of E. coli. E. coli bacteria can cause severe food poisoning.
It is also common for people to have loose fruits and vegetables rolling around in their car boots, Cox said. This has been the case in the UK since recent campaigns began encouraging people to reduce their use of disposable plastic bags in supermarkets.
“This is one way we can get these stool bacteria into our homes and kitchens and possibly get it into our bodies,” Cox said. “The purpose of the study is to raise awareness around this.”
A reference point in surface bacterial studies
It is a reminder that just because a surface looks clean does not mean it is clean.
Phones are no better than cars: They have also been found to be dirtier than toilets. Some studies show that phones are up to ten times dirtier than toilet seats.
And the money is even worse. Researchers at New York University have found that the surface of a single banknote can house about 3,000 types of bacteria.
Toilet seats are often used in such studies – but why? This is the perception of the public.
“It gives people a comparison,” Cox said. “Most of us whiten our toilets, probably on a daily basis, but when do we ever whiten our cars? We do not.”
This attitude helps explain the results of the study, Cox said. While people know they have to clean their toilets, they do not think of their car interior in the same way.
“The purpose of the study is not to scare people. “It just makes people believe that the bacteria in their cars are not necessarily where they originally thought they were, and it also makes them think that maybe it’s worth cleaning their cars inside as well as outside once in a while.” Cox.
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