A recent study has concluded that common car keys house even more bacteria than mobile phones and keyboards.
Family Cars
Your keys – you toss them aside, drop them on the ground, let your kids play with them, lose them in the nooks of the car, and they just keep enduring what life throws at them.
In reality, they are bacterial archives hoarding life we can’t even see.
According to UK microbiologist Joe Latimer who conducted research for MoneySuperMarket, car keys hold four times more bacteria than mobile devices – and phones hold a lot already.
| Object | Bacteria Count |
| Car Keys | 241 |
| Mobile Phone Screens | 66 |
| Computer Keyboard | 68 |
| Toilet Seat | 1100 |
So the silver lining is that your keys are cleaner than the porcelain throne…
Latimer conducted the study using individual’s keys of varying daily routines and cleaning habits and swabbed them.
The report states the lack of surprise with the amount on the toilet seat, but admits shock at the level of bacteria on mobile phones and keyboards compared to keys.
Nearly half of all the bacteria found were skin bacteria, and there were even 31 types of fungi on our keys too.
MoneySuperMarket car insurance expert Alicia Hempsted told Drive the inspiration for this study came from the idea that so many people take pride in the appearance of their cars – constantly “polishing the bodywork, cleaning the interiors” – and yet what about the neglected car key?
In addition to this study, MoneySuperMarket sampled a small group of 2000 UK drivers and asked how often they clean their car keys – a significant 33 per cent admitted to never having cleaned them.
Should you worry about this?
Latimer reminds us in the report that bacteria is everywhere and that there are 33 million bacteria per square cm in the human gut.
So the number isn’t of huge concern, but keeping your objects hygienic is still important, since they are tracking things from wherever we’ve been.
How to properly clean your car keys
Hempsted goes into detail about how to clean your keys, for those that so desire.
Recommended is to first check with your manufacturer, but a basic clean is simple enough.
“Use a soft, damp cloth and a mild soap solution to wipe down the exterior, this can help to get rid of grease, grime and germs from the car key fob,” Hempsted explains.
“For stubborn dirt or grime, use a toothpick or cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean crevices and between the keys.
“It’s important to remember to avoid using bleach as modern car keys, especially key fobs, contain electronic components and circuits. Bleach, being a strong chemical, can corrode or damage these components, leading to malfunctions or complete failure.
“It’s also important to not submerge the keys into water, as again this could cause issues with any electronic components and circuits, leading to issues with the keys working.”
Family Cars Guide
Ilana is a Melbourne-based journalist who was previously a copywriter in the Big Apple. Having moved to Melbourne for her Master of Journalism, she has written articles about food, farm machinery, fashion, and now the fast and furious. Her dream car has been a Mini Cooper since the fifth grade, eyeing its style and petite size.
