The inside of your car could be even dirtier than a toilet seat, experts warned today.
Stomach-churning images show how vehicles can harbor a cocktail of bacteria not visible to the naked eye.
As part of their grim experiment, a team from LKQ Euro Car Parts took samples from three different car interiors.
The driver’s seat was the worst offender, with levels of disease-causing insects almost four times higher than a toilet, followed by the handbrake, interior door handles and gear lever.
Stomach-churning images show how your vehicle harbors a cocktail of bacteria not visible to the naked eye. The researchers, from LKQ Euro Car Parts, took samples from the interior of three cars to establish levels of bacterial contamination. In the photo, the driver’s seat.
Experts today called the results “sobering” and urged drivers to reconsider how they clean their cars. In the photo, the inoculated plaque harboring bacteria from the door handle.
Experts today called the results “sobering” and urged drivers to reconsider how they clean their vehicles.
Dr Deborah Lee, medical writer at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, said: “The car is a potent source of bacteria, some of which can cause illness in humans.
‘If the car is not cleaned properly, infections can occur that come back and, in some people, can become persistent.
“There are bacteria all around us and fortunately we have a good immune system that keeps us safe, but the fact that the car is an incubator for microorganisms is a sobering idea.”
He added: “When we get an infection, we have no idea where it comes from, but it could well have come from the car.”
Experts tested bacteria levels in each of three vehicles: a 2007 Audi A3, a 2011 Mini Hatchback and a 2010 Nissan Qashqai.
But they did not reveal whether they were bought secondhand, when they were last cleaned or whether they had housed children and animals.
They held microbiological slides against eight separate areas, including air vents and radio buttons, for 15 seconds.
The slides contained agar, which supports the growth of all bacteria, including Enterobacteriaceae, which are found in human and animal feces.
Experts tested bacteria levels in each of the three vehicles: a 2007 Audi A3, a 2011 Mini Hatchback and a 2010 Nissan Qashqai. But they did not reveal whether they were purchased secondhand or whether they had housed children and animals. In the photo, the plate inoculated a week after a swab of the gear lever
Research has long shown that motorists only clean their cars on average once every three months, usually with an impending visit to the shop. In the photo, the plate inoculated a week after a steering wheel swab
The inoculated plates were then incubated at 30°C (86°F) for one week to allow bacterial growth.
The experts found that six of the eight spots examined harbored more bacteria than dirty toilet seats.
A total of 107 bacteria colonies were identified on the driver’s seat, almost four times the 30 they said were reported on average on toilet seats.
Meanwhile, the seat belt recorded 47 colonies, and the parking brake and door handle reported 41 each respectively.
Even with the shift stick swab, 35 colonies were counted.
Of all areas, the steering wheel was among the cleanest.
Research has long shown that motorists only clean their cars on average once every three months, usually with an impending visit to the shop.
According to researchers at Queen Mary University of London, it is estimated that around 700 types of bacteria can lurk on the steering wheel.