What's the germiest place in your car? A recent consumer survey and car swab test conducted by the Pleasanton-based CloroxPro found the ickiest places in your vehicle are not where you think. According to the survey, most U.S. drivers believe the top germiest spots are the steering wheel (63 percent), the driver door handle (45 percent) and the gear shift (39 percent). But the swab test revealed the yuckiest places actually include the front seat cup holder (1,179 germs), the dashboard air vent (1,082 germs), driver side floor mats (1,197 germs), and trunk of the car (1,180 germs).
Comparatively, the steering wheel (408 germs) and interior driver door handle (375 germs) do not have as high a concentration of germs as previously assumed, according to the swab test. The study included an online survey of 1,271 U.S. adults and a series of swab tests assessing 13 vehicle sites on 21 vehicles across the country, according to CloroxPro, which is a division of the Clorox Company.
The company released its findings as part of a marketing campaign touting it PrecisionCare Clorox Total 360, a sanitizing system designed to promote "healthier vehicles." The company has partnered with AutoNation to roll out the PrecisionCare system at 240 of its U.S. locations.
Not to worry, the company insists (not surprisingly) that drivers can also keep their cars clean and germ-free in between PrecisionCare services by using Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, which the bleach maker says kills 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria.