It’s often asked if we’re a nation of good drivers, and certainly many people out there will have a strong opinion on that. But what about whether we’re a nation of clean drivers? A new survey from car leasing specialists ZenAuto has found that it would appear that we’re not.
In a nationwide poll designed to find out the dirtiest secrets of British motorists, it was revealed that two-thirds aren’tregularly cleaning their car either insider or out. From not being bothered to not wanting to spending money on it or simply forgetting, there are many reasons for this.
The fault of food and drink waste?
Food and drink waste is a big mess-maker when it comes to our cars. And it’s hardly surprising when 7.8 million Brits eat or drink in their cars every day. Millennials are especially guilty when it comes to taking a bite behind the wheel, with 46% snacking regularly while on the road.
Not every motorist is as keen to bring food or drink into their cars, though. More than a quarter (27%) will avoid eating or drinking while driving. A further one-in-10 don’tentertain the idea of food or liquids in their cars whatsoever. It’s certainly one way of keeping the insides clean.
For a quarter of adults, however, not even dropping food in the footwell of their car is a barrier to eating in their cars. Crisps, sandwiches or other products – if they still look clean after being dropped into the footwell, they are (apparently) still good enough to eat.
Your car’s grime hotspots
This statistic, in particular, is a concern when you consider ZenAuto’s findings about which part of a car’s interior is the dirtiest. Using a test vehicle that is driven by a dog owner and used for commuting and social reasons, the driver’s footwell came out on top for being the grimiest.
A total of 12 swabs were taken from different areas of the car as part of the experiment. Germs and bacteria aren’tunique to the driver’s footwell. But they are certainly more common after a five-day period – coming ahead of the boot, cup holder and passenger footwell in the test.
Cleaning your car: A convincing argument?
Those results should be enough to convince any motorist to keep the inside of their car even a bit cleaner. It doesn’t cost the earth or take up too much time. Little and often, here and there can do the trick – taking much of the effort out of keeping your car clean.
It can also be worth paying attention to those tight nooks and crannies where germs can easily gather – such as cup holders and door handles. You can also invest in anti-bacterial gel or wet wipes to use before and after eating or drinking to cut the risk of spreading germs in your car.
After all, a little bit of pride in the cleanliness of your car could go a long way – not least if you find it hard to resist a snack or need to quench your thirst behind the wheel.
