Researchers at Queen Mary University in London have discovered there are almost nine times as many bacteria on a steering wheel than on a toilet seat. The tests turned up 700 bacteria per square inch, compared to 80 bacteria over the same area in the bathroom.People spend so much time in their cars commuting and traveling they often eat right behind the wheel, which means those germs are potentially being ingested, England’s The Daily Mail reports. Of the 42 percent of people who eat as they drive, only one third take the time to clean the inside of their car once a year. If this was done as part of routine car maintenance , like getting an oil change, it could significantly lower the amount of germs which are growing and festering inside your vehicle.
“A car is the perfect place for germs to breed, especially if you eat in it and leave litter or uneaten food around,” lead researcher Dr. Ron Cutler, director of biomedical science at the school, told the news source. Las Vegas Insurance Las Vegas auto Insurance
Most of the bacteria found on the wheel are not harmful to humans, but some can be. Bacillus cereus, which can cause food borne illness when digested, was one of the many micro-organisms found, the paper reports.
Drivers rarely clean inside their vehicles
One of the reasons automobiles play host to bacteria is the fact 10 percent of car owners have never cleaned the inside of their vehicles according to the report. If a bathroom was cleaned with that regularity, people would probably be disgusted.
“Most people clean their homes but many are neglecting to clean their cars and are driving around in vehicles which resemble a rubbish bin,” Cutler said.
The dirtiest area of the vehicle was the car trunk, with 1,000 bacteria for every one-and-a-half square inches.
Best ways to clean a steering wheel
There are a number of ways to properly clean a steering wheel. Some people will put disinfectant wipes in with their other car accessories, and these may be great for a quick clean. These germ fighters come in packages ranging anywhere from 35 to 110 wipes. Baby wipes will also do the trick. If a person does not have these readily available, most household cleaners will work.
For leather steering wheels, leather cleaner should not be used. It will only add to the grease already there. The best cleaning method may be simple soap and water, with a brush for scrubbing. This will kill the bacteria and strip away the oils left there from the driver’s hands.
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