Your car’s stereo is dirtier than a toilet

This is the result after testing 10 different vehicles

In 2020 we’ve become more aware of the germs surrounding our lives. So, it’s safe to assume that most of us have picked up new cleaning or hygiene habits this year. But if there’s one area that we typically overlook, it’s our cars. A recent study conducted by Compare the Market discovered the top 5 dirtiest parts of a car’s interior, and if you’re the type who constantly eats in your car, it might make you reconsider it.

Compare the Market is an automotive insurance comparison website based in the United Kingdom, and its study involved testing 10 different vehicles using high-end surface test swabs and computing systems to determine Relative Light Units (RLU). An RLU reading is then compared to the amount of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) collected during the swab. Basically, the dirtier the test area, the larger the ATP amount, producing a higher RLU reading. A high RLU reading means gross, dirty, germy levels of disgust.

The 10 vehicles used in the study ranged from family cars and luxury vehicles to work vans. Each one was swabbed in the following places: shifter, indicator stalks, steering wheel, driver seatbelt and seat, interior door handle, windshield, stereo/touchscreen, and rearview mirror. The study also swabbed a toilet seat at an office building to have a comparison in bacteria levels.

According to the results, the dirtiest area of a car is the stereo with total RLU reading that was 371% dirtier than an office toilet seat.

In second place was the shifter, racking up an RLU reading 331% higher than the loo. That’s not surprising considering how many objects we grab, touch, and scratch before reaching for the stereo volume knob or touchscreen.

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In third place were the indicators stalks, and fourth and fifth the steering wheel and handbrake.

The dirtiest areas of a car

Other results in this test showed that a family car’s interior could be up to twice as dirty as a work van.

The goal of the study is not to trick the reader into thinking they are driving a toilet seat around town, or something even dirtier. However, it does serve as a useful reminder to frequently clean and disinfect what you drive.

Source thedrive.com