DRIVE A "HEALTHIER VEHICLE"
A car is one of
the most important assets in our lives. It transports us
from place to place in a comfortable and reliable
manner. It is also one of the most frequently used
“environments” in our daily routine. According to a
study by the UBC, the average time spent in car was more
than one hour for Canadians. In a traffic prone city
like Toronto, the average time spent in a car is likely
to be doubled.
Most Canadians do an excellent
job cleaning their homes. They vacuum, mop, “swiffer”
clean, sanitize the washrooms, and even clean out their
air ducts every year. WebMDHealth (http://www.webmd.com/)
even suggest vacuuming your house twice a week and get
rid of all dust and mold build up whenever you can, in
order to “allergy-proof” your environment. Dust as well
as mold and other bacteria are one of the most common
causes for allergies. However, most of us don’t pay that
much attention to the place where we spend an average
1-2 hours a day in: our cars.
A study by Ipsos-Reid found that residents
of Ontario wash their car an average of 4 times a month.
Maybe this is due to the amount of acid rain, smog,
dust, and salt we get during the year. However, we drag
in these same elements into our cars on our boots,
clothes and through the car’s air ventilation system.
The salt stains from winter, dirt stains from spring,
and mold build up during the rainy season all creates a
safe haven for germs and bacteria to grow INSIDE your
Vacuuming your car once a week will help
get rid of the “chunks”. However, it will not get rid of
salt stains, mold, and even odor caused by bacteria.
Changing your air filter will also help in filtering out
pollution from getting into your car. But did you ever
think about the “air ducts” and ventilation systems that
are connected to the air filter? Even after you have
changed your air filter, you did not clean out the air
ducts that connects from your air vents in the car to
the air filter. For older cars, this is where lots of
“build up” is happening. Dust, pollen, mold, etc., that
have been “stuck” inside the air ducts can cause allergy
attacks and add to “poor” air quality in your car. This
is even after you have vacuumed and changed your air
So what’s the solution? Have your car
detailed every 6 to 12 months. By detailing your
vehicle, you will also have got rid of many of the
“build ups” from daily use of your vehicle and provide a
cleaner environment in your car. Most detailing shops
simply “shampoo” the Interior to make it clean. However,
opt for “steam” cleaning detailing shops that use heat
and pressure to kill 99% of allergens such as Dust
Mites, Mold and Fungi as well as Bacteria and Viruses
inside your car. According to allergyconsumerreview.com,
heat kills dust-mites as they die at 130 degrees and
temp from Mr. Steam's steam vapor system is about 180
degrees (trapped steam temp is up to 250 degrees).
Mr. Steam CAR WASH and DETAILING is one of the detailing
shops that specialize in STEAM cleaning your car. They
will steam clean your carpets, seats and even dashboard
killing all germs while cleaning your car to make it
“new” again. With their premium package, they also use
steam to clean your air ducts and ventilation system.
Such system is currently only offered by Mr. Steam.