Find Out Where Germs Are Hiding in Your Car
General B2BPlaces like our home, work and car are intended to be safe spaces for us. Where we can feel completely at ease. Depending on your lifestyle, these spaces are likely where you spend the majority of your day. Today specifically, we are dialling in on where germs are hiding in your car.
This may not apply to everybody, but for many people, your car is your sanctuary. We work hard to purchase and maintain our vehicles. It’s where we eat, sing, celebrate, vent, and maybe even cry (just me? Oh, okay). Because you can so freely let your guard down here, it is incredibly easy to ignore potential hazards.
Your car is home to approximately 700 different types of bacteria. This isn’t all that surprising considering that our car takes us to most of our destinations. Any germs that you come in contact with, will inevitably end up in your car. It’s not until you’ve touched your door handle, seat belt or radio that you usually remember to sanitize your hands.
The substantial levels of germs are escalated by the infrequent disinfecting our cars receive. On average, people only clean their cars once a year. Hats of to you if you regularly deep clean your vehicle but just know that you are a unicorn! Luckily for the majority, we’re pretty realistic at Precision Chemical. Whether you’re a clean freak or more on the cluttered side, you’ll leave here today knowing where germs are hiding in your vehicle. And of course how to kill them!
Top places to look for where germs are hiding in your vehicle
- Trunk – I’ll be honest, this one surprised me! If I were to compare, I’d say the trunk is one of the cleanest places in my car. What is easy to forget is how much we load into our trunks, from our groceries, gym bags, tires and pets (for those of you that drive SUVs). Our trunk is where we store things that we don’t want to contaminate the rest of our vehicle.
- Floor mats – As we said earlier, your car is home to all the dirt and debris that you take with you from all your adventures. It’s also important to note that if you enjoy the odd meal in your car, the floor of your car is usually the destination for any crumbs you missed.
- Seat belt – The driver’s seatbelt and also the passenger’s seatbelts are common places for a multitude of germs. For most of us, It’s automatic to reach for your seatbelt almost the second you sit in a car. The seatbelt likely has as many germs as your handle or turn signal (for those of us that use our signals), which also rarely gets disinfected as much as it should.
- cup holders – Regardless of how clean you keep your car, no one is above the inevitable drink spill. Whether it’s a speed bump, loose lid or no lid at all. These sticky spills are notorious for attracting excess dirt, debris, odour and germs. And unfortunately, we can’t always guarantee that our cups and bottles are properly disinfected. We don’t know where germs are hiding in stores, so focusing on controllable variables is all we can do.
- steering wheel – I saved the most obvious for last; the steering wheel. Many articles state the steering wheel is the #1 place where germs are hiding in your vehicle. If we’re actively driving, our hands should be on the steering wheel the entire time. And our hands aren’t always as clean as we would hope! Due to the proximity of the steering wheel, it is an easy target for coughing, sneezing and spitting.
Tips
- Clean THEN disinfect. You can use the best disinfectant and clean your car constantly, but if you’re not doing it properly it’s a waste. If the surface has a layer of dirt and debris, simply using a disinfectant isn’t going to effectively eliminate germs. Before you pull out the disinfectant spray or disinfectant fogger, clean hard surfaces with soap and water, then vacuum porous surfaces (seats, floors and trunk).
- Keep your windows or doors open. If not for comfort, for the sake of your brain cells please crack a window. This is a great habit whether you’re cleaning your car, your home or work. Pairing this alongside using an odourless disinfectant is ideal for your overall health. Yes, they may leave a nice smell but the potential risks associated with these fumes aren’t worth it. Prolonged exposure can result in respiratory problems, asthma and even cancer.
- Wear the proper PPE. Many cleaning products recommend that PPE be required during use. Even if you can’t be certain whether PPE is required, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Especially if you suffer from sensitive skin, asthma or any other ailments that could be affected.
- Your car has several hard-to-reach areas. Using a disinfectant fogger will make reaching those areas a quick and easy task. Although there are several different types of disinfectant foggers, paired with the right disinfectant, they should all deodorize, sanitize and prevent mildew. It’s hard to reach these areas where germs are hiding, so they are ideal for nooks and crannies that are plentiful in our vehicles.
Thanks to advancements in technology and substantial research, we have the power to protect ourselves and those around us.
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Everything You Need to Know About Sanitation Foggers in 2021
We found these sources especially helpful during our research: