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Imagine a room in your house where you eat, drink, socialise, listen to music, even have the odd nap… yet you never think to clean.
Inconceivable, isn’t it? Yet when it comes to our cars even the most house-proud among us are guilty of turning them into potential health hazards, experts warn.
A new study by SellCar.co.uk revealed exclusively to the Mirror shows the average motor contains a higher density of bacteria than smartphone screens and computer keyboards.
Swabs from the floor surrounding the handbrake console of 20 vehicles revealed an average density of 200 living bacteria per square inch, including MRSA.
Environmental health practitioner Dr Lisa Ackerley ( thehygienedoctor.co.uk ) says: “People do all sorts of unhygienic things while driving and sitting in traffic jams – from picking their noses to coughing and sneezing all over the steering wheel.”
Yet few of us clean our cars regularly – and three per cent never do.
Here’s how to keep yours spick, span and healthy...
Ban food
In a study for confused.com , 51% of drivers admitted to dropping food and other perishable remains, giving bacterial and viral cultures free rein.
Dr Ackerley says: “In a warm car, bacteria are going to start multiplying and you may get mould starting to build up. You’re creating a microbiological cavern if you’re not cleaning it on a regular basis.”
Action: If you must eat in your car, keep wipes in the glove compartment to clean up any spills, and don’t let crumbs and wrappings fester.
Watch your mitts
Sharing the steering wheel with other drivers spreads germs. “If you pick up bacteria from the steering wheel, then eat a packet of crisps, you are ingesting that bacteria,” explains Dr Ackerley. “Rubbing your eyes with infected hands is one of the easiest ways of passing on viruses.”
Action: Keep a bottle of antibacterial wipes or hand gel in the glove compartment to clean hands before eating.
Tidy up
In a study by Aston University, 25% of people admitted their car was littered with food wrappers and empty drink containers. And 16% typically left uneaten food inside the car.
Action: Keep a rubbish bag in the car and encourage everyone to use it.
Watch those surfaces
Tests at Aston University found that the gearstick was the most heavily infected part of a vehicle, with 356 microbes per square centimeter.
Studies have also found E.coli , Salmonella and Campylobactor, all of which can survive up to a month on surfaces such as the dashboard.
Action: Once a week – and more often in case of cold, flu or sickness – wipe the steering wheel, gear stick, door handles and dashboard with an antimicrobial wipe, urges Dr Ackerley.
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Clean the air con
Bacteria and dirt can build up in air conditioning units and vents, and circulate around your car exacerbating problems for those with breathing difficulties, say experts at Halfords.
Action: Dust vents with a soft brush or feather duster to prevent a build-up of microbes. Have the air con system checked every two years – an antibacterial clean eradicates 99% of bacteria.
Tackle accidents asap
“If someone is sick in your car, the smell is the least of your worries,” says Dr Ackerley. “The whole car could become a source of infection.”
Action: Use a carpet cleaner for deep cleaning, she says. “The combination of hot water and antimicrobial detergent means you’re effectively sanitising the car.”
Watch your step
“Every time you get back in your car, you’re transferring bacteria from wherever you’ve been walking, so the floor and mats will become as dirty as the ground outside,” says Dr Ackerley. “If you drop food on the car floor and then eat it, you may be getting an infective dose of dangerous bacteria.”
Action: Keep a bag in the boot purely for muddy walking shoes. Regularly vacuum car mats.
Kids & pets alert
Family cars tend to be the dirtiest and most bug-ridden.
Microbiologists at Aston University found traces of faecal matter from pets and nappies tracked all over an average family car. A study by Natrasan First Aid Antibacterial Spray found child car seats contain 200 times more germs than supermarket trolleys.
Action: When transporting pets, use covers for seats and a boot protector. Regularly launder seat covers and use an antibacterial spray.
Protect your groceries
The boot – where we regularly load our supermarket supplies – is one of the filthiest areas, say scientists at Queen Mary University, London.
Dr Ackerley says: “Loading shopping into the boot, where muddy shoes and dogs go, then bringing those bags on to a kitchen worktop means you’re contaminating that surface.”
Action: Use a protective cover which you can wash out regularly. Vacuum the boot. Keep a brush handy for cleaning dirty wheels on buggies and bikes – or cover them with plastic bags.
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