Health benefits of a proper detailing routine
#1
03-16-2009, 01:13 AM
Health benefits of a proper detailing routine
Have allergies? Feeling tired? You may be harboring germs and bacteria in the most unlikely place: your car. It seems that our beloved automobiles can be one of the most germ-filled atmospheres we come into contact.
ABC News asked germ expert Dr. Chuck Gerba, a University of Arizona microbiologist, to swab every inch of a couple's SUV and BMW to let them know, for better or worse, what's growing in there. The wife has the usual soccer-mom transportation machine with the usual Cheerios and crumbs. The husband's BMW can only be described as a "sanitarium." He doesn't even let his wife or kids drive in it.
The results were shocking. "We found that cars are the moldiest of all forms of transportation," Gerba said. Gerba added, "germs tend to build up because people aren't cleaning or disinfecting. The germs travel with us and everyone carries their germs and leaves them behind."
Gerba found millions of bacteria on the door handles, seat and floor of the SUV, compared to just a few hundred in the husband's new BMW. Gerba even found MRSA, a staph bacteria that can cause skin infections.
"The germiest areas in your car are your dashboard, your change holder and where you keep your coffee, actually," Gerba said. "The reason is ... because the air flows ... over your dashboard and so, the bacteria tend to build up on that surface."
So, a proper detailing routine can go far beyond the aesthetic reasons. Your health may depend on it. This doesn't mean you need to sanitize everything daily, but it does mean you should vacuum, clean carpets and seats with an interior cleaner, and wipe down surfaces such as dash, doors, shift ****, and steering wheel with an interior detail spray.
So next time you come home after a drive and pick up a piece of fruit or a cookie, think twice about not washing your hands. I always keep a hand sanitizer in my glove box and make an effort to disinfect my hands prior to driving. As soon as I get home, a proper washing of hands under warm water with soap is something I couldn't do without. This is probably why I seldom get sick and can be around to detail all your cars.
ABC News asked germ expert Dr. Chuck Gerba, a University of Arizona microbiologist, to swab every inch of a couple's SUV and BMW to let them know, for better or worse, what's growing in there. The wife has the usual soccer-mom transportation machine with the usual Cheerios and crumbs. The husband's BMW can only be described as a "sanitarium." He doesn't even let his wife or kids drive in it.
The results were shocking. "We found that cars are the moldiest of all forms of transportation," Gerba said. Gerba added, "germs tend to build up because people aren't cleaning or disinfecting. The germs travel with us and everyone carries their germs and leaves them behind."
Gerba found millions of bacteria on the door handles, seat and floor of the SUV, compared to just a few hundred in the husband's new BMW. Gerba even found MRSA, a staph bacteria that can cause skin infections.
"The germiest areas in your car are your dashboard, your change holder and where you keep your coffee, actually," Gerba said. "The reason is ... because the air flows ... over your dashboard and so, the bacteria tend to build up on that surface."
So, a proper detailing routine can go far beyond the aesthetic reasons. Your health may depend on it. This doesn't mean you need to sanitize everything daily, but it does mean you should vacuum, clean carpets and seats with an interior cleaner, and wipe down surfaces such as dash, doors, shift ****, and steering wheel with an interior detail spray.
So next time you come home after a drive and pick up a piece of fruit or a cookie, think twice about not washing your hands. I always keep a hand sanitizer in my glove box and make an effort to disinfect my hands prior to driving. As soon as I get home, a proper washing of hands under warm water with soap is something I couldn't do without. This is probably why I seldom get sick and can be around to detail all your cars.
#3
03-20-2009, 11:40 PM
I never thought about this aspect of detailing either; my wife suggested this topic. Once I researched it, the findings were very eye-opening.
#4
03-21-2009, 10:08 AM
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