Whether you accept it or not, billions of creatures we can’t see lurks around your car like germs and allergens. And that’s even after you just had a car wash, so how much more if you're the type who hardly ever do car wash and just waits for rain to kind of do the job for you? (I know this sounds ridiculous but people like this truly exist!) Letting dust, dirt or debris accumulate in your vehicle for a long time is not good because your body absorbs that in one form or another. This practically means you’re slowly putting your health in jeopardy especially if you get sick easily. So if you’ve had the chronic cough or cold, try taking your car to a detailer more regularly and you’d be amazed how the coughing and sneezing starts to fade away. While you’re at it, here are the areas you wanna pay more attention since it’s been found there often the most overlooked and dirtiest part of your vehicle.
1. Vinyl And Leather Surfaces
You may wanna get yourself a magic eraser to use in your car. Gently rubbing a magic eraser can magically remove gross sticky things off your vinyl and leather like it’s never been there. This is especially important if you have pets or children that ride your vehicle. Apparently, the spot where your kid or pet sit are usually dirtier and have higher bacteria counts. Pathogens identified such as E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter or MRSA are the ones found according to a study conducted at Queen Mary University in London.
2. Cloth Upholstery
Spills on the cloth seats are difficult to control because of the movement of the vehicle when the spill occurs. Maintaining a steady supply of towels for quick cleanup will reduce the amount of foreign matter that collects in the cloth. Dust mites feed on these substances. People who suffer from allergies will experience discomfort when riding in a vehicle where dust mites have found a healthy food source.
3. Carpets
Moldy or mildew smell is often due to A/C evaporator. But sometimes it can also come from leaky heater core especially when you see fog on the inside of your windows or water leak if the fog is accompanied by a musty smell. Strong indication of this is when your seats and carpeting are also wet.
Add that to all the dirt you step on and rubbing your shoes against the floor mat. Yeah, pretty gross. So aside from including them in your regular car detailing, remember that they’re not built to last you a lifetime too. Change them yearly as much as possible.
4. Windows
People touch their car windows all the time without even realizing it. Just imagine all the kind of dirt stuck on them in case you accidentally spilled something sticky on your windows, dust or even just the accumulation of dirt from constantly touching them and transferring dirt from your hands. This is why it’s always good to keep non-abrasive cloth and an anti-bacterial window cleaner in a small spray bottle in one of your car compartments. Microfiber ones are great because they’re so soft that it doesn’t damage the tint but still gets the job done. This way you get to wipe your car windows immediately when the need arises.
5. Air Conditioning System
We know it’s necessary to replace air filters because dirty ones restrict airflow and causing the AC system to run longer and use more energy. But only some actually do this. Be more diligent and make a reminder of it on your calendar so that you don’t ‘forget’ to do it every month.
The distinctive smell of mildew flooding out of your air vents is usually caused by a build-up of bacteria and mold. This can happen to older cars that have had bacteria growing behind the dashboard for years and in cars that rarely run the air conditioning, as they don’t enjoy the drying effects that it provides to excess water on the coils. So if you do your own car cleaning, make sure you clean your car AC vents too.
Good thing, though, is that many cars nowadays have an auto air re circulation button on their climate controls. It’s best to leave this on to prevent buildup of fog and condensation in the windows that can hamper visibility. Keeping a set temperature and leaving the air conditioning in a mode that it can manage itself is the best way to keep the windows clear and still keep occupants cool. Adjust the temperature all you want, but keep that button on.
