A top luxury car cleaner has admitted one thing fitted to every vehicle on UK roads is littered with bacteria and may be dirtier than a toilet seat. James Taylor, a luxury car cleaner who regularly details high-end vehicles, has warned that bacteria collecting on car steering wheels “should be taken seriously”.

Studies have shown that petrol, diesel and electric steering wheels can harbour hundreds of bacteria per square inch — these can including those linked to severe illnesses such as food poisoning and skin infections. Motoring specialists at Plates Express say this is often more bacteria than what can be found on your mobile phones, a keyboard or a public toilet seat. James warned that steering wheels were also exposed to sweat, sneezes and coughs.

He said: “People touch their face, their phone, their food — then grab the wheel.

“I’ve cleaned Bentleys that looked spotless — but when you swab the wheel, the bacteria levels are through the roof.

“It’s not a huge danger to most healthy people, but if you’ve got kids, allergies, or low immunity, it’s something you should take seriously.”

Motorists are usually focused on cleaning the mess they can see, such as throwing away old packaging or polishing away crumbs.

However, bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, making it almost impossible to realise how dirty a surface could really be.

James added: “You wouldn’t go weeks without washing your hands. But drivers go months without wiping down the one surface they touch every single day.”

Experts have urged car owners to use a car-specific interior cleaner or antibacterial wipes to sanitise a surface.

They urged drivers to never forget to scrub the stitching on the wheel with bacteria tending to hide in the creases and seams.

Specialists have also urged road users to always leave some time for the steering wheel to fully dry before getting behind the wheel.

A wet steering wheel could slip out of motorists' hands, causing a risk to themselves and others on the road.

Plates Express commented: “Most people wouldn’t eat off a toilet seat — yet they snack in the car without thinking twice about how dirty the steering wheel actually is.

“A weekly wipe-down can reduce germs dramatically and takes less than a minute. It’s one of the simplest ways to improve hygiene inside your car.”