The Inside Of Our Cars Are Probably Dirtier Than Our Toilet

Some of us are responsible and go for regular car washes, to make sure the outside and inside of our cars are tidy and clean.

However, not everyone wants to continuously pay for car washes, especially when we live in areas where it rains or snows a lot. Knowing the weather will be bad makes us not want to spend the money to get a car wash that will just be obsolete in a few days.

When our lives are crazy and chaotic, that can be reflected in the way our cars look and feel. Like, when we are busy and stressed, we may have a messier car than normal.

We throw everything in there and just leave garbage and trash inside, too. We may even hit some fast food drive-throughs and munch on some snacks in there, too.

As it turns out, the way in which you treat your car does matter because, well, bacteria can get built up and germs can breed in that car.

You may not think about it because bacteria isn't something you can see, but if you look closely, you'll realize that your car is a lot dirtier than you ever imagined it could be.

Aston University studied several different cars from "seasoned owners" who use them on a regular and reoccurring basis. They swabbed the cars inside and went through all of the areas to see where the dirtiest areas of the car may be.

And, when examining the cars, it was surprising to see what was in them and how dirty they were.

At the top of the list, the study found that the car's trunk had the highest count of bacteria.

And, second to this was the driver's seat. Following the driver's seat, they found the third most bacteria on the gear stick/shifter. And, then they found the fourth-most in the back seat of the car. Overall, there were high levels of "harmful" bacteria on the inside of all cars.

We've all heard, and we all know, that toilet seats are dirty. We sit down there to, well, poop. So, there's no secret that toilet seats hold some harmful and gross bacteria and germs from splashing poops and behinds.

Well, the study informed us that some car interiors have more bacteria than toilet seats. That's actually disgusting!

The study showcased the following data:

1. Trunk - 1,425 bacteria identified 

2. Driver’s seat - 649 bacteria identified 

3. Gearstick - 407 bacteria identified 

4. Back seat - 323 bacteria identified

5. Dashboard - 317 bacteria identified

6. Steering wheel - 146 bacteria identified

7. Toilet seat - 34 bacteria  

Therefore, it is clear that cars have almost 3x as much bacteria as toilet seats. Wow.

Knowing that there are such high numbers counts of bacteria makes you remember all of the times you may have dropped things in the car and then gone to pick them up. For example, we've all dropped a french fry or two in the car, or even something like a straw, but then used it because well—it's our car.

But, we could be putting some germs in our mouths and bodies we had no idea about.

The data collected and found showcased that people need to be regularly cleaning their cars. And, that if your car is older, there is a higher chance that you have a higher count of bacteria, as the car has been more "used" and "lived-in" than newer cars.

Whether or not your car is new or old, the moral of the story and study is simple: regularly wash the inside of your car.

While we may wash the outside to appear and look clean, getting into the inside (even the trunk) is very important to our overall health and the health of our passengers. No one wants to get sick from eating a dropped McDonald's fry off your car's floor!