Motorists urged to pay more attention to car interior cleanliness

Some interiors found to be 16 times more germ-ridden than a toilet seat

Motorists urged to pay more attention to car interior cleanliness
Image: Sam Asim Malik on Facebook.

Car interiors could be hosting dangerous bacteria including faecal matter, microbiologists at Aston University have warned.

The study, by Scrap Car Comparison and Aston University, found that car interiors host harmful E. coli bacteria, usually bought into the car via muddy feet or paws if you own a dog.

With winters synonymous with muddy walks, in addition to coughs and colds that can spread further bacteria around the interior, researchers say keeping car interiors clean is all the more important at this time of year.

Dr. Jonathan Cox, senior lecturer in microbiology at Aston University said drivers should reach for the anti-bac, clean the interior as often as the exterior and not just to rely on whether things ‘look’ clean.

He added: “It’s important to be aware that there is a difference between being clean visually and being clean biologically.

“We generally just focus on the visual element, meaning that if something looks clean or tidy, we do not look to cleanse more deeply.

“If you were cleaning a kitchen sink or toilet you would clean these biologically with chemicals – it’s unlikely that the majority of car owners would clean their cars in this way.”

A separate survey of 2,000 UK motorists by used car dealer, Carzoo recently found that car owners only fully clean their car on average once every 11 weeks.

Almost one in five say they only ever clean their car if someone else is getting into it.

And 20 per cent of all drivers say they won’t bother to mop up a drink if they spill it in their car.

1 Comment

  1. We have got to the point now where we will refuse to work on vehicles that are disgustingly dirty on the inside. During Covid we had vehicles presented for test full of old masks and testing paraphernalia, used dog poo bags , overflowing ash trays. we will not accept vehicles in this state for MOT testing or work. We also have vehicles presented with filthy “dog Blankets” the type that go around the headrests to protect the seats. you cannot get to seat belts etc to test so these also get refused.

    It is not fair that my technicians should have to wade through a car full of rubbish and dirt to find a locking wheel nut key, or to attempt to carry out an MOT when god knows what is lurking around inside these vehicles.

    Reply

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