A recent study by car rental company Intelligent Car Leasing overseas showed that 22% of the 1,460 UK drivers surveyed only cleaned the inside and outside of their car every six months, while 6% admitted that since purchasing their car, they had never cleaned it.
Findings also showed that your car could be contaminated with 16 times more germs than your toilet seat. After examining 11 cars, Professor Ward and his team found up to 800 different bacteria in the interiors.
*The findings from the study conducted by Intelligent Car Leasing are indeed concerning. It highlights the potential for cars to accumulate a significant amount of germs and bacteria if they are not regularly cleaned. The presence of up to 800 different bacteria in the interiors of the examined cars underscores the importance of maintaining a clean and hygienic environment inside vehicles.
In light of these findings, it's essential for car owners to prioritize regular cleaning and disinfection of their vehicles.
Frequency of Cleaning: Ideally, car interiors should be cleaned more frequently than every six months or, even worse, never cleaned. Regular cleaning is particularly important for frequently touched surfaces, such as the steering wheel, gear shift, door handles, and dashboard.
Thorough Cleaning: It's important to thoroughly clean all surfaces inside the car using appropriate cleaning products. Vacuuming the upholstery, carpets, and floor mats, wiping down surfaces with disinfectant wipes or sprays, and cleaning the windows can help remove dirt, dust, and potential germs.
Disinfection: In addition to regular cleaning, using a suitable disinfectant, such as Eco-klean Antiseptic Spray, can help eliminate germs and bacteria from the car interior. Pay special attention to high-touch areas and follow the instructions provided by the disinfectant product.
Ventilation: Proper ventilation is important to maintain a fresh and healthy environment inside the car. Open the windows or use the car's ventilation system to circulate fresh air and reduce the concentration of airborne particles and odors.
Personal Hygiene: Encourage good personal hygiene practices, such as washing hands before entering the car, especially after being in public spaces. This helps minimize the transfer of germs and contaminants to the car interior.
By implementing these practices, car owners can create a cleaner and safer environment inside their vehicles, reducing the potential risks associated with bacterial contamination.
It's worth noting that the specific cleaning recommendations may vary depending on the type of vehicle and its materials. Always consult the vehicle manufacturer's guidelines and recommendations for cleaning and disinfection to ensure compatibility and avoid any potential damage.
Cross-contamination
Think about the parts of your car you touch as you get in and prepare to set off on your journey – door handles, steering wheel, gear stick, handbrake, radio, and mirror, to name a few. It is therefore easy to see how germs you may have on your hands can be spread around your car. This doesn’t take into consideration the parts that any passengers will also touch, or the mess children and pets can make.
Every journey you take gives you a new opportunity to spread germs. You are in a confined space, so when you sneeze or cough the germs have nowhere to go, meaning they will land on a part of your car. You are then likely to pick up the germs and circulate them.
Cleaning
In the Singapore , the average adult will spend 293 hours a year in their car – shouldn’t you, therefore, be treating your car as you would your own home? After all, would you go six months without giving your house a clean?
Ideally, we should be cleaning the inside of our cars between once a week and once a month. This can be made extremely simple by regularly spraying touch points with Eco-klean, which kills 99.999% of germs in 60 seconds.
The top 10 areas of your car that you should be paying particular attention to are:
- Cup holders
- Steering wheel
- External door handles
- Internal door handles
- Seat belts
- Window controls
- Multimedia screen
- Rear view mirror
- Handbrake
- Air vents
Eco-klean comes in a variety of sizes, Eco-klean can be purchased from our online shop, or by calling +6588232099 to place a telephone order.