The Average Uber Has 220 Times More Germs Than a Taxi

No one takes cabs anymore because Uber is so much easier, and cheaper. But here's one reason to go old-school.

A new study found the average Uber or Lyft is filled with over 200 times more germs than the average taxi, because taxis get cleaned regularly, and Ubers don't.

Germs are measured in something called CFUs, which stands for "colony-forming units." The average taxi has just under 28,000 CFUs per square inch, compared to over six million for Ubers and Lyfts.

Just to put that in perspective: Six million is almost three times more bacteria than the average toothbrush holder. And it's over 35,000 times more than you'd find on a toilet seat, which don't actually harbor much bacteria.

The germiest spot in an Uber is the button to roll down your window. It has the most bacteria by far. Then your seat belt is next.

The study also found that rental cars are pretty filthy, about 2 million CFUs per square inch. The top two spots you might want to wipe down in your next rental are the gear shift, and the steering wheel. They both have about 1 million each.