Did you know that the typical steering wheel is FOUR TIMES filthier than a public toilet seat?
We know…it’s staggering. But it’s true. But as we fight to defeat the Coronavirus, it’s worth remembering.
A study conducted by the National Center of Biotechnology measured the filthiness of the cars interior parts thru the average amount of bacteria per square centimeter (CFU). Steering wheels are found to have 629 CFU. In contrast, an average cell phone screen is at 100 CFU, while public elevator buttons are at 313 CFU. Public Toilet Seats? 172 CFU. Go figure. Here’s the link to the summary on auto interiors: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3962071/
So no matter how many times you wash your hands, the minute you touch that steering wheel you’re contaminated again. This leads to our first tip:
1) Sanitize your Steering Wheel, Constantly!
You can do that by using any EPA approved disinfectant which most common cleaning products will be. However, those chemicals can be harmful to your skin over time, a non-toxic alternative cleaning product may be your best long-term solution.
2) Keep you car’s interior clean.
This one may sound obvious, but a recent survey among 1,000 drivers in the United States revealed how often they sanitize and clean their car’s interior: a shocking 32 percent of these drivers, or 320 out of 1,000, rarely do so. In fact, these car owners only clean their car’s interior once a year. During this virus threat or any other time, keeping a clean car is VITAL for your health and your loved ones. We recommend a deep interior detail job a few times per year, but weekly vacuuming and wiping down and disinfecting of surfaces is crucial.
3) Avoid eating in your car.
Yes, we know that everything is take-out for the time being…but this time can be an opportunity to break your “drive-thru habit.” Wait until you reach your destination—it’s a safer driving habit also. Indeed, eating on the move can be convenient, but how much time will you truly save? Even if you sanitize your hands immediately before eating, touching interior parts of your car will inevitably bring all sorts of microbes in contact with your mouth and your face increasing the risk of a virus infection or food poisoning.
4) Maintain in-car air quality in check.
Air quality is huge when it comes to protecting your health and your lungs, specially during the winter months when our windows are mostly closed and we rely heavily on our heaters while driving. Your car can be spotless clean inside and yet the air you’re breathing can be polluted and contaminated. Keeping the air ventilation ducts cleaned and your car’s intake air filter in check is extremely important. Steam cleaning can penetrate those ducts and clean filters really well, that’s by far our first suggestion but if you don’t have access to a steamer or a steam cleaning professional, turn your A/C on full blast, open your windows and spray some Air Disinfectant Product directly on the outside air vents, under your windshield wipers. Also, consider replacing your cabin intake air filter every 15,000 miles.
5) Apply an antimicrobial interior coating for longer protection
After disinfecting a surface the germs and microbes will be completely eradicated but the problem is that they will certainly come back, and generally in a matter of a few days only. There are new ways to protect surfaces for longer periods, with special coatings that act like a microscopic “bed of nails” that inhibit the growth of microbes back on the cleaned surface for several months.
We are going through tough times right now due to COVID-19. Hopefully, new precautions and better habits will become the new norm. Hygiene is never a bad thing, no matter what, so we encourage all of you to do your part in containing this virus spread.
At EXCITE, our commitment is keeping you safe and on the road. Safety first starts with your health, and we hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy as we all get through this. On that note, should you need auto service of any kind, we are offering our exclusive tow service where we will pick up your car for just $69, provide a free hour of diagnosis, make approved repairs, and return it to you. No face-to-face interaction will be necessary! Contact us today if we can be of service.
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