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Article Do you know what has more germs than the toilet?

Your Kid’s Car Seat, a New Study Suggests
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We often consider the toilet as the grossest place in our home with the most germs.

We are very cautious when it comes to its maintenance and, of course, we never forget to wash hands after using it.

However, recent research has found that a lot of items and places at home have more germs than the toilet seat. These nasty spots include the kitchen sink, the bathtub, the remote control and most recently, your kid’s car seat.

On average the toilet seat provides a comfy home to about 50 different types of bacteria.

If you think that’s a lot, hold on to something, because the number of fungi and bacteria found on children’s car seats will make you cringe – 100 different types.

According to researchers at Birmingham University, who examined more than 20 car seats, the number is alarming and what makes matters worse is that in a relatively small sample, researchers came across salmonella and E Coli too.

According to Dr Anne-Marie Krachler from the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham, these pose serious dangers to the health of the entire family.

But before you label your kid as utterly gross, let me explain these findings since the fault is more likely “in our stars”.

We spend a lot more time at home and we put in more effort when it comes to scrubbing our bathroom. We are far more likely to neglect our car in favour of our home.

 According to statistics people don’t believe their cars can be germy and harmful to their health. Actually nearly 60% of participants reported they clean thoroughly the inside of their cars just once a year.

Surely no one wants 100 different types of bacteria near their children. Here are a few steps to take to prevent cross-contamination, food poisoning, rashes, conjunctivitis and other serious infections.

  • ​Keep a garbage bag in your car and throw it away on a daily basis. Don’t allow garbage and clutter to linger in your car.
  • Vacuum clean the interior. This will remove small particles, food, dust mites and crumbs. 
  • Steam-clean any non-leather interior often. This will eliminate bacteria, fungi and dust mites that linger in the fibres of the interior. Leather may shrink, so consult professionals before attempting anything on leather upholstery.
  • Surely the parts of the kid’s car seat can be disassembled and cleaned separately. Well… It is not going to clean itself, you know…
  • Introduce a new rule – no food and drinks in the car. Water is an exception. Even if you are travelling long distance, surely you can make a quick stop and eat properly at a cafe, or a petrol station. It is much healthier and you will ensure no food will end up between the seats.
  • Remember that the interior of your car is essential for the vehicle’s market value. No one will want a car used as a dumping ground.

Hopefully this was helpful and not too scary.

It isn’t possible to shield your children from all bacteria, but next time your kid touches the car seat and puts his or her fingers in their mouth you might be glad you wiped it clean beforehand.

Main Image Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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Comments

  • My kids are not allowed to eat in the car and only have water, was a interesting read.

    Reply

  • I wash the car seas regularly, makes sense to clean.

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  • OK, I will make sure that the kiddie seats get a good clean up. Thank you

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  • I never knew about the car seat. I’m glad I spray mine with glen 20

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  • Wow, thanks for sharing. I try and vacuum my car seats regularly, but they could probably do with a good wash too. Especially as I do let me daughter eat in the car. I have got full length mats under the car seat to protected the actual car interior.

    • Washing is a very good way to protect the car seat from germs. Another thing people do on carpets, which might work on car seats is to sprinkle a bit of baking soda and rub them in the fibres. This way extra moisture will be extracted and germs won’t have the needed humidity to reproduce. This can’t replace the thorough wash though:)

    Reply

  • Simple no food or drinks in the car apart from water – not filled too full.. For young children spillproof containers are the best and make sure they don’t take the lids off. Pop Tops will leak onto seats/floor if the top is not pushed down. Seats and floor coverings get very smelly if they don’t dry quickly enough and can go mouldy if left for too long. Baby carseats are quite easily removed when you get the knack of it. Unless you are an expert do not try to disassemble other parts of the seat. Wipe the underneath section with an antibacterial cloth or similar method. Clean the harness too. Be careful what you use or you will damage the harness, not just the brackets but the webbing part as well. Grandma had a spare carseat that she kept completely covered with a piece of material so it kept dust out of the seat and protected the entire seat. It was much easier to wash the material regularly than it was to remove the actual carseat cover and it doesn’t dry as quickly either.
    I would have thought that household door handles would have been another germ collector.
    I would spot test any furniture fabric first to ensure it isn’t damaged by steam cleaning. Depending on the fabric it may stain or not dry quickly enough.

    • Thank you so much for your comment, the tips and for sharing your story!

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  • Thanks for sharing this interesting article and cleaning tips.

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  • I also enjoyed your article so thanks too.

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  • what a great article
    time to get cleaning ladies!

    • Thank you! Glad you liked it! Since spring has sprung it is indeed time for some thorough cleaning – steam cleaning the interior of the car, kid’s car seat included, is a way to start! :)))

    Reply

  • My goodness i too was surprised to read this i was waiting for the mobile phone or computer keyboard car seat, i do remember when my first child was born i used to wash car seat once a month but now working full time and more children lucky to get twice a tear vacuumed regularly but washed no where near as much as id like think things will change now!!

    Reply

  • I hate getting into dirty cars! Taxis are the worst!

    • eeewww id hate to think what germies lurke in taxis!!

      • As much as this is true for most taxis, I have to admit I’ve been in a couple of them and they were sooo clean, more cleaner than most of my girlfriends’ cars. I guess it is up to the person who maintains it. Some drivers don’t want to spend all day in a germy, dirty, greasy car as some of their colleagues.

    Reply

  • Wow, who would have guessed the car seat.

    I have always had a no eating rule in my car. Glad now.

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  • Gross. I wasn’t aware of this.
    I was expecting it to be mobile phones, laptop keys or children themselves haha

    • You are absolutely right, keyboards, mobile phones, keys all make the list of gross and germier items, but it came as a surprise to most people that kids car seats did as well.

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  • Interesting information. I have a no eating in the car rule.

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  • Actually heard this before. But thanks for your article. My children are all grown so no car seats now. Also our car would probably be cleaner than our home. lol. Hubby is fanatical and very car proud always was, is and will be. Our car gets a clean out side, and inside at least once a week, wash, vacuum and armor all. Spick and span.

    • Are you sure we are not married to the same person! 😀 Just kidding, but my hubby too is quite car proud and his care for the car is proportionately opposite to the care for his clothes and socks!

    Reply

  • Wow I would never of thought of this but now I read it in makes a lot of sence now an it’s probably right..

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  • An interesting read, thanks very much!

    • Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it! I thought it might be useful too!:)

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  • Some great tips! I will definitely implement them in my daily routine!

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  • “no food and drinks in the car” – absolutely agree with this one, it’s a rule in our cars for years

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  • I hate germs they’re scarier than my mother in law. I have a thing about remote controls, the computer keyboard and mouse.

    • Hi Mom! I hope I didn’t scare you too much! I was afraid I’d get bashed for inducing fear, but I do think it is useful to sometimes remind ourselves to give particular items a thorough wipe, like our remote control, mobile phones, car seats, keyboards, kitchen sinks, etc. I don’t have a solutions for the MIL, thought. Wish you luck with that! 🙂

    Reply
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