Ewwwww

We spend a lot of time worrying about if things are clean and sanitary and telling ourselves that we won't get too many cooties at the Try 'N' Save if we wipe down the handles of our grocery cart as we set out to shop.

We feel really great that the person in the deli is wearing gloves when they handle the pickle and pimento loaf. Of course, who know where that glove-clad hand was two minutes ago, but anyhow...

We tend to think that germs are only in the bathroom, but that ain't necessarily so...

It turns out, the inside of your car (and surely mine) is BacteriaLand, where germs go to hide.

An insurance company called Netquote sent investigators, CSI types, to check out the germification level in cars like Uber sends for you, or taxis you hail, or sedans you rent at the airport.  They found that seat belts are dirtier than window buttons or door handles, which is a good thing, in one way, proving that people are using seat belts, but a bad thing, when you realize that their grubby mitts are dragging dirt from all over into that Impala.

They found that - get this - toilet seats contain fewer microorganisms than rideshares vehicles and rental cars.

“It all comes down to the frequency of cleaning. All surfaces that are touched regularly by numerous people will be germy. That’s why we clean them,” says Jason Tetro, microbiologist and author of The Germ Files. “Taxis are required to keep their cars clean, meaning they may be using cleaners and disinfectants that will aerosolize onto the belts and help keep the microbial numbers low. Another thing to think about is how often people who jump in a cab use the seat belt versus those who are in ride sharing. I’ve been in some cars where even in the back seat the seat belt is required. This could lead to a huge difference in the usage, which will reflect the germ levels.”

This is NOT my car!

So what he's saying is, that orange car from Rabid Cab is cleaner than the beater the guy around the corner drives for Uber. Makes sense.

Mr Tetro says the mnemonic device EWW will help you remember how to clean your seatbelts at home:


Extend: Pull the seat belt out all the way.
Wash: Scrub that belt with cleaner and disinfectant thoroughly.
Wipe: Wipe the fluids off with a towel to make sure the belt is all cleaned up.

I expect all of us to do this by the end of today. (Pause for laughter.)