THESE images lay bare the grim state that many children’s car seats are in — with sickening amounts of nasty poo bacteria.
Researchers swabbed various parts of car interiors to find out just how much bacteria is growing in our vehicles.
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The study conducted by vehicle hire company Leasing Options found child car seats contained bacteria – with loads faeces in.
This was three times above a healthy amount, leaving kids more susceptible to sickness bugs.
The findings come as a survey from the vehicle leasing firm found almost half of parents (44 per cent) only clean their car seats twice a year.
A further one in ten only wash it out once a year.
Worse still 16 per cent never give it a scrub.
Steering wheels, hand brakes, gear sticks and radios were swabbed.
And all registered at 10 to 20 LOD (Limit of Detection) for bacteria – a normal amount.
But when child car seats were checked they registered an incredible 3,000 LOD, with the main bacteria being faecal streptococci.
This can cause ear infections, bacterial meningitis and bacterial pneumonia.
Younger mums and dads were found be more thorough with their vehicle cleaning.
A third aged between 18 to 24 scrubbed their child’s car seat once a week, compared to one in five of 24 to 44 year olds.
HOW TO CLEAN A CAR SEAT SAFELY
- Read car seat instructions so you know which parts detach
- Take a video or images of the assembling process
- Wash thoroughly as per the instructions
- Wash the covers – some can be in the washing machine and others are hand wash only
- Make sure you don’t forget to clean the harness
- Reassemble correctly
Source: Which?
Car seats aren’t the only surface at risk from bacteria.
Bath toys are a health hazard with four in five of them awash with harmful bugs.
Disease-causing bacteria — including E. coli and Legionella — were found in 80 per cent of toys by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology.
Scientists claim the likes of plastic ducks are breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi, which form “slimy films” inside.
Indeed tests showed some are contaminated with 9.5million bugs per square centimetre.
When water from these is squirted into kids’ faces, they could be at risk of eye, ear, or stomach infections, say scientists.
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