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Mumii 8
An astonishing new study has revealed that our children’s car seats are harbouring twice as many dangerous germs as the average toilet.
Carried out by the University of Birmingham, scientists found on average 100 potentially dangerous bacteria and fungi lurking in each square centimetre. The bacteria found included E. coli and Salmonella, which can lead to sickness, diarrhea and dehydration.
Continental Tyres were carrying out a survey of 2,000 motorists when the University of Birmingham team decided to swab 20 cars, followed by 20 homes so they could compare the results.
The study also revealed that almost half of us regularly drive in vehicles strewn with mess and litter with a staggering one in 10 Brits having had an accident or near miss due as a direct result to the untidiness.
We ventured out on to the streets to find a local Mum who allowed us to look inside her car. She got no warning and so no time to tidy up. Nicky Bostrom from Lincolnshire, kindly let us loose on her car and this is what we found…
1. One packet of babywipes (empty)
2. Two babywipes packets (both full)
3. Three packs of tissues (with only one tissue left in each)
4. Various snacks
5. DVDs (not in cases)
6. Sweet wrappers (Mummy & Daddy sweets – oops)
7. Antibacterial handwash
8. Two ice scrapers (in August!!)
9. One can of de-icer (see above)
10. At least one of each nappy size strewn across the boot
Nicky, 32, added, “I am shocked about this piece of research and I would never knowingly put my baby and toddler in danger. My first job when I get home will be to take the children’s car seat covers off and give them a wash. I’ll then be tidying my car out. This is just the shock I needed to tidy up…my husband will be pleased!”
Nicky is not alone. Mark Griffiths, who is the safety expert at Continental Tyres spoke about the findings. 'Clutter as well as germs can present a real hazard - for example a can or bottle rolling under a brake pedal would be very serious.'
'Most people wouldn’t dream of using their home as a dumping ground for rubbish as they do with their car.
'With real safety implications, it’s important car owners perform simple and regular maintenance on the inside, minimising the risks posed by both bacteria and clutter in the cabin.'
So, it seems that lots of us could do with tidying the car.
Do you have a cluttered car or do you include the car in your weekly cleaning routine?
