Where’s the most germ-riddled part of your car?
New research has revealed which parts of your car interior are the most riddled with germs.
The study, which took swabs from 20 parts of the inside of a car, found the spots with the most visible bacteria and the areas most contaminated.
The sample taken from the steering wheel, one of the most touched parts of a car, was one of the most germ-free areas. However, the boot of the car, which was used for transporting pets, was one of the most contaminated areas.
Other areas with the most visible bacteria included the driver footwell, seatbelt button and the handbrake.
The experiment, conducted by second-hand car seller Motorpoint, revealed how poorly drivers are looking after their vehicle.
The car swabs were put in agar-filled petri dishes and were sealed to avoid contamination. The samples were left for three to five days to thrive.
The results showed that the car boot was the most bacteria-affected area because of the owner’s pet dogs. The cup holder, inside door handle and radio button also had mould.
Surprisingly, the rear-view mirror, steering wheel and gear stick were the three cleanest areas inside the car.
Motorpoint said the results wouldn’t have been as shocking if the owner adhered to a car cleaning regime.
According to a survey of 1,050 car owners, Britons only clean the inside of their car on average 10 times a year despite eating food and carrying pets inside cars.
Alison Weatherley, head of marketing at Motorpoint, said, “The results were quite revealing and showed that maybe we need to clean our cars a little more often than we currently think is acceptable.
“Many drivers eat or drink in their vehicle, as well as chauffeuring young children or pets, and these can also have an impact on dirtiness in cars.
“To avoid excessive grubbiness, we recommend that people action regular car cleaning – both inside and out!”
9 per cent of respondents said they only clean the interior of their car once a year.
How often do you clean the inside of your car? Tell us in the comments below.