With cold and flu season upon us, and the current Coronavirus State of Emergency, we are very aware of the germs that are coming at us from all directions, but have you thought about your vehicle? We have to be vigilant when it comes to eliminating germs, and your vehicle is one of the most frequently-touched surfaces in our day-to-day life. In fact, if you were to put bathroom germ samples next to car samples, they’d probably look very similar. In a recent study in the U.K., microbiologists randomly tested 25 cars. They checked both the interiors and the trunks, and found that the average vehicle contained around 285 types of bacteria in every square inch of the interior.

Now that we have grossed you out, here are 9 ways you can make your vehicle a flu-free zone.

1. Car Keys

Becoming germ-free starts with your keys. Car keys get placed on many different surfaces, are held every day, and if you have a toddler like we do, they are chewed on from time to time. Make sure to wipe down your keys with a disinfectant wipe and allow them to fully dry before using them in your vehicle. We also suggest limiting your key chain to only what is necessary; the less surface space, the less germs your keys can carry.

2. Steering Wheel

Common sense dictates that the highest concentration of germs would be on the items you touch most frequently, and we hope you are keeping both hands on your steering wheel when you drive! A steering wheel is actually the breeding ground for over 11 times more bacteria than a public toilet! Research has proved that a typical steering wheel had an average of 700 kinds of bacteria compared to the 60 types found on a public toilet seat. Yikes! So, what can we do? For leather steering wheels, make sure you are using a leather-safe cleaning product. A mild disinfecting wipe or baby wipe should do the trick, make sure you spot-check first.

3. Everywhere else you touch

Consider your center consoles, dashboards, arm rests and instruments faces (including the speedometer, stereo, and climate control areas, where many people cough and directly sneeze into), all handles, power switches and door storage areas, windows, mirrors, cup holders, etc. Seeing the surfaces of the interior of your vehicle in list form starts to make you realize why your vehicle is a hub for germs! Here are the steps we recommend when disinfecting these surfaces:

1. Remove any objects like drinks, spare coins, etc before cleaning

2. Wipe down all non-fabric surfaces with a disinfectant wipe. We recommend wipes over watery-sprays so you don’t have excess liquid pooling into cracks and possibly damaging your electrical system. If you do need to use a liquid, please spray into a microfiber cloth directly and then use the cloth to wipe down the surfaces

3. Aerosol disinfectants mists are a way to disinfect interior spaces because they kill germs that you might miss during your wipe-down from the previous step. Aerosol mists can disinfect all the hard-to-reach spots in your car, like the nooks and crannies around the seats and center console that you can’t reach with disinfecting wipes. So, do a spray down of your surfaces (without over spraying) and the wipe dry with a micro-fiber cloth.

A study conducted by the Healthy House Institute tested 11 areas inside 100 vehicles across the U.S. The number one site for bacteria? Food spills. Numbers two and three on the list were the dashboard and cup holders. Not surprisingly, family vans had the highest germ count.

4. Deep Clean your vehicle

After disinfecting all of your vehicle interior surfaces, we recommend having the interior of your car cleaned. Vacuuming the carpets, the floors, the seats will help eliminate germs that have been tracked in from shoes, purses, objects, etc. Another great option to make cleaning easier is to invest in machine-washable seat covers. This allows you to throw the covers in the washing machine frequently and have clean seats.

5. Throw the children away

Okay, we joke! But really; one study found that children’s car seats contain more germs than toilet seats. They found an astounding 100 bacteria per square centimeter on car seats; toilets only had 10 – 50 bacteria per square centimeter. Make sure you are frequently cleaning and disinfecting car seats, sip cups, washing vehicle blankets, toys, etc. Being parents of a toddler, we know its so easy to let kids have their “car toys” and keep their tablets in the car, but make sure you clean them frequently! Even if you can’t clean all of the items all the time, any cleaning is better than none.

6. Keep your car stocked with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.

If you are like most people that tend to forget to clean the car (or don’t have time), it will help you to keep cleaning items on hand. If you do a quick wipe down of frequently used surfaces at the end of each day, it will help the spread of germs. Also, before you drive or use your vehicle, make sure you have clean hands. Anything helps!

7. Clean your Air Vents

Germs love to hide in small, dark, hard-to-reach spaces like car vents. Our next step discusses cabin air filters, but it is important to clean your air vent openings. We recommend to spray a high-quality disinfectant spray/mist directly into the vents for a couple of seconds and, before you drive your vehicle, allow it to dry and run your air system for a couple of minutes to allow the spray to circulate and dissipate.

8. Replace your Cabin Air Filter

A closed circuit of air allows germs and spores to contaminate your vehicle and the dark, warm environment within the plenums of the ventilation system is the perfect breeding ground for germs and bacteria. It is important that you have a clean cabin air filter while you are using your AC system because while it doesn’t explicitly filter out viruses or bacteria that can get you sick, keeping the air in your car’s AC clean is always a good idea. We recommend changing your cabin air filter every 15-30k miles, but we also inspect your cabin air filters during your routine oil changes.

9. Let Nature Help!

We don’t know about you guys, but we love to play music while we drive, and tend to keep our windows up to not bother other drivers. That being said, stale, stagnant air can be a breeding grounds for viruses and bacteria, so make sure you detox the air in your vehicle frequently. A simple thing like rolling down your windows can make a big difference in the air quality within your car. We recommend the next time you are going on a long drive during nice weather, roll the windows down, and allow the natural air to circulate through your car. Also, the next time you are hanging out in front of your home, open all the car doors and let some air through.

It is really impossible to make anything “germ free,” but we assure you that these steps will help reduce the germs in your vehicle. We not only want to keep your vehicles in good health, but our clients as well! If you need assistance with replacing your cabin air filter, or have any other vehicle maintenance, repairs, or services needed please call or text us today for an appointment at (916) 767-4120 .

We are so proud to be Sacramento’s Asian vehicle specialists for Auto Repair and Service and are an honest, family-run shop, giving you quality service with family values. We can be found at 7637 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Suite 1, Carmichael, CA 95608. You can find out more information about us at www.BuckFamilyAutomotive.com or on facebook at www.Facebook.com/BuckFamilyAutomotive