Your Car Interior, Part I

 I've been detailing for 27 years now and have owned our detailing business since 2009. I have often wondered about what we run into in vehicles that we clean. This topic is something I think many detailers push to the back and try not to think about it.

 I have found this to be quite a topic with many areas of interest like the germs, what products are better/safer to use on automotive interiors, how to clean and one not really thought about, is there PPE (personal protective equipment) that can be worn to keep the person cleaning safe.

 For this reason I will be breaking this read up into a few different parts in order to keep each on the shorter side. 

 Part I will talk about germs and bacteria on the various surfaces of the interior of your vehicle. Great article written by Sandee LaMotte of CNN.

Phot Credit: Final Finish Detailing LLC, Schofield, WI

Your Car

Part I: Germs inside

Credit: Sandee LaMotte, CNN-11/22/2019

 A study done by an Expedia car rental company found steering wheels to be four times more germy than a public toilet seat, and six times more germ-infested than your cell phone (which we tend to carry into the bathroom). Cup holders came next, followed by seat belts, the inside door handle, gear shift and audio volume knob.

In fact, the study found the inside of the average car to be over 2,000 times germier than a phone, with more than 200 infectious bacteria per inch.

None of that surprises microbiologist Charles Gerba, a professor of public health, environmental science and immunology at the University of Arizona.

"I can actually tell by looking at the microbiology of a car where it is from in the US," Gerba said. Known as "Dr. Germ" for his abundant testing for germs on nearly every surface mankind might touch, Gerba's work is often commissioned by cleaning supply manufacturers to verify if their products work.

"We grew salmonella in the shop and we put them in the trucks of cars in different states," Gerba said. "In the south and Florida, it's nice and humid like a sauna so you get tons of bacteria. Michigan is like a refrigerator, so it's loaded with fungi because they grow better at the colder temperature."

However, in Arizona where Gerba lives, it's tougher for bacteria to survive: "They get toasted because it's 120 degrees in your trunk."

The solution is obvious: Clean the inside of your car with sanitizing wipes, change the air filters frequently to remove airborne particles, vacuum upholstery and sanitize floor mats. And don't forget to clean your keys.

Another germy surface you won't be able to avoid on your road trip: the gas station. The buttons you push to select and pay for gas harbor millions of bacteria, some dangerous, some not, according to the car rental survey. Gas pumps carried over 6,000 times the bacteria a public elevator button has and more than 11,000 times the germs of a public toilet seat.