Usually, when it comes to running away from germs and
bacteria-infected surfaces, people are wont to think of toilets as the
headquarters of such, thus, they exercise extreme care when going there.
It is even more so when it comes to using public toilet. For
some people, especially women, using public toilet is a no-go-area, because of
the fear of being infected, but for those who use it, they do it with absolute
suspicion and care, for obvious reasons.
Yes, toilet areas can breed germs and bacteria, but unknown
to many, the interior of a car could also breed the kind of germs and bacteria
that could be injurious to human health.
Previously, a study by a company in the United Kingdom had
pointed out that there are many everyday items, including toothbrush, sponge,
pillow, chopping board in the kitchen, that are dirtier or carry higher germs
and bacteria than the toilet seat.
But in another shocking report by some scientists, the
interior of a car could have as many germs that could be harmful to the owner
and others. Thus, it is very possible to come across clean (and even exotic)
cars that would be very appealing to the eyes, but would have unkempt and
germs-ridden interiors, due to their usage.
From findings, people generally see the interior of their
cars as very clean and germs-free, such that they don’t even bother washing it,
especially people who use their air conditioning system regularly. Such people
feel that as long as their windows are up all the time and there would be no
dust, the only part that should be washed is the exterior and maybe the engine.
Thus, they feel free to put food items anywhere, including the car seat and
dashboard.
However, according to a study by some microbiologists in
Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom and car insurers, insurance.co.uk,
the interior of a typical vehicle has bacteria that could make the owners and
every person that comes in contact with it to fall ill.
The areas that were identified to harbour these germs and
bacteria include car seats, knobs, control buttons, plane surfaces, steering
wheel, gear sticks, seat belt, which is like home to dusts, and handles.
Specifically, an environmental microbiologist and leading
author on germs, Prof. Charles Gerba, once said the bacteria that usually hide in
car seats could make children sick with an ear infection or strep throat,
leading to pains. Hence, people should wash their car seats “few times” in a
month.
According to them, all that is required to keep the car
interior clean is to clean those identified areas with sanitizers daily, wash
them with soap and disinfectant regularly and if need be scrub them from time
to time. The researchers found that, on the average, a typical vehicle has
whopping 283 different types of bacteria present in every square centimetre,
while the dirtiest part was found to be the gear stick, with 356 germs, which
was found in every square centimetre. These could be from dust, dead insects
and food particles.
Furthermore, they found that the car boot, where people
usually keep their food items, could be very dangerous, because in one
instance, a car boot had more than 850 bacteria present, due largely to
leftovers and drops of liquid that were not properly washed off.
Giving a breakdown of the factors that influence the presence
and volume of the germs, a report, reviewed on health24, showed that cars used
to convey children and pets were found to be the most risky, in terms of
bacteria. Also, married people were found to have more bacteria in their cars
than those who are single.
Also, females were found to have more bacteria in their cars
than males and cars used to transport children on a regular basis had more
bacteria than those that carried only adults.
More importantly, the germs and bacteria were found to be
very harmful to the system. One of the harmful bacteria found was Escherichia
coli (known as E.coli), which lives in the digestive tracts of humans and
animals.
Some species of E.coli are harmless, but there are some
types that can cause bloody diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, severe anaemia
or kidney failure which can lead to death eventually.
One of the researchers, Prof. Anthony Hilton, who is Aston
University’s Director of Biology & Biomedical Science, said the presence of
E.coli could also indicate the presence of other harmful bacteria, like
Salmonella.
He said, “Whilst most of the bacteria we’ve found are
unlikely to cause serious health problems, some cars, particularly those which
regularly carry children and animals, play host to potentially harmful germs.
And these germs are capable of surviving on surfaces inside cars for up to a
month.
“People would be horrified at the thought of eating off
their toilet seat, but few realise eating off their car dashboard is just as
likely to make them sick.”
In some other reports, which an environmental scientist,
Jessica Shaw, was a part of, it was also shown that the interior of a car could
have 17,000 times more bacteria than the home and that, specifically, the cup
holder has 228 per cent more bacteria than a toilet seat.
In yet another study by some other scientists, the interior
of a car, especially handbrakes and gear sticks, was found to be 50 per cent
dirtier than computer keyboards and 2,144 per cent filthier than people’s
smartphones. The dashboard was also found to have large number of bacteria, and
these were found to be harmful to the health and could make people, especially
children, sick.
A hygiene and public health expert doctor, Dr. Lisa
Ackerley, in her reaction on Mail Online, said drivers were usually unhygienic
in their cars by failing to clean the interiors regularly.
She said all sorts of bacteria and viruses could get into
cars which could linger on the steering wheel, gear stick, seats and other
surfaces, allowing them to be passed on to passengers and other drivers of the
car.
She said, “When you think of all the unhygienic things you
see people doing whilst driving – picking their noses, coughing all over the
steering wheel and eating food – we really ought to be cleaning the insides of
our cars more, particularly the hand contact surfaces.
“People may be amazed that germs can be passed from human to
human via everyday surfaces, especially when they use same hand they had placed
on the germ-ridden dashboard or gear sticks to put food in their mouth or touch
their noses.”
Meanwhile, findings have shown that the human activities
that could breed these germs and bacteria in the car include:
Eating and drinking in the car: While it is understandable
that people might want to eat or drink something while in the car, whether out
of being famished, thirsty or for some other obvious reasons, this act has been
shown to be one good way to breed germs and aid the growth of bacteria or mould
in a car. Researchers found that the crumbs that drop on the chair, especially
fabric material, or floor could eventually breed bacteria if not removed on
time. They equally found that if sugary drinks pour on the floor, it could
attract insects and if on the car seat, especially fabric; it could also breed
bacteria as they tend to thrive in moist areas.
Refusal to disinfect the car interior regularly: One other
human activity that helps to breed bacteria and germs is the refusal to clean
the vehicle and rid it of dust and food particles. Experts have however advised
that daily, people should use wipes (a special piece of wet material) to clean
all surfaces, including dashboard, knobs, gear stick, handles and controls, so
as to kill the germs and bacteria present. While at regular intervals, people
should (thoroughly) wash, scrub the floors and doors of their vehicles and use
disinfectants and sanitisers to clean the entire interior. Knowing that it
could sometimes be inevitable for some to eat in the car, experts have advised
that such people should always do comprehensive cleaning to remove the crumbs
and then use wipes to clean the surface.
A clinical laboratory scientist, Prof. Donna Duberg, in his
post on Beauty and Confidence, said people should keep sanitisers in their
vehicles, because after touching things like the handle of a gas pump or
buttons on the ATM, such person’s hands would be covered with germs. Thus, if
they don’t clean their hands, they transfer it to the car’s interior, like
steering wheel, knobs and controls, where other persons, including children,
could have contact with it.
Reacting,
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