“Allergies”. There may not be a word in the English language that invokes quite as much ire. We vacuum our homes with HEPA vacuums, we buy special pillows, we treat our furniture, rugs, and even our pets for allergens. And yet, we still sneeze and cough. What gives?

Your car. Yes, your car is a HUGE source of allergens and one that isn’t usually nearly as well taken care of as your home. The degree of dust, dirt, and grime that accumulates in your vehicle is absolutely staggering. It’s easy to overlook all of the little cracks and crevices in which crumbs, drips, and dust can accumulate. This is precisely where the problem lies. In this article, we’ll go through the different types of allergens, where they’re commonly found, and what you can do to get rid of them.

Dust Mites

Where are they?

These culprits can be found all over your vehicle. Dust begins with the cabin air filter, then travels through the vent system. From there, it disperses onto all of the surfaces of your vehicle: seats, floor, dashboard, you name it. Some surfaces are more prone to dust mites than others: the vents themselves, any cloth surfaces, rugs. They also tend to accumulate in crevices where there isn’t a lot of air flow; they will be blown into your car from the vents, and then fall to the floor in those hard to reach places – and stay there.

How can I get rid of them?

In many cases, a typical car wash vacuum isn’t sufficient. Those of you with allergies need to use a HEPA vacuum or a steam cleaning unit in order to get all of the dust mites out of your cloth surfaces and rugs. For the vents, you can use a slightly damp cloth to wipe them out, so as to not blow more dust mites back into the car. It’s also important to make sure that you change your cabin air filter regularly.

Mold

Where is it?

Many people eat in their cars. Everyone transports groceries in their car. Trash gets transported in your car. You may have coffee or drinks in your car. All it takes is one crumb or one drop of soda or coffee to grow mold.

The greatest offenders for mold are trunks, cupholders, and rugs. It’s easy to overlook trunk of your car; you’re not usually back there. Things can get tipped over very easily and immediate cleanup isn’t usually a priority. Clean cupholders are a constant battle, particularly for those of us with children (although we did do a recent Facebook post about using cupcake liners to make keeping those pesky pits clean). It’s notoriously difficult to get anything out of a rug without a vacuum, which most of us don’t do nearly as often as we should.

How can I get rid of it?

The only way to get rid of mold is with a steam cleaner. There are many great options available at local retailers that you can also use in your home. However, if you have a stubborn problem that you feel needs a more powerful touch, our detailers have a machine called an extractor that simultaneously steams and uses powerful, green chemicals to remove any stains and mold.

Fumes & Vapors

Where are they?

We all like our cars to smell nice. Air fresheners come in all shapes, sizes, and scents. Unfortunately, many of them contain the chemical formaldehyde, which is a known irritant. While they may mask other odors in your car, you’re essentially trading one irritant for another.

Do you smoke in your car or allow others to do so? Even if you smoke outside of your car and then get right inside, the smoke will still cling to your clothes and enter the car. Particularly if you have cloth seats, don’t allow people to smoke in your car. Aside from the smell, the chemicals from the smoke will irritate many passengers.

Unbeknownst to most people, foam padding, vinyl, and plastics release fumes into the air. While these may be in minute quantities, they can still be irritating to some.

How can I get rid of them?

The easy answer to air fresheners would, of course, be to notuse them. If you enjoy having a car that smells nice, however, you can try a Car Essential Oil Diffuser. The same answer goes for smoking: your car will smell much nicer if you smoke outside of it.

Trickier, however, are the fumes from your car’s components. The fumes eventually leave a haze on the interior of your car’s windows. Clean your car’s vinyl with a sudsy solution of two tablespoons of a mild, perfume-free dishwashing detergent and two quarts of warm water, then wipe dry with a clean, cotton cloth. Afterward, use an ammonia-free glass cleaner to clean your windows.

There is also a treatment known as ozone, O3. Ozone is the second most powerful sterilant in the world. It is highly effective in killing viruses, bacteria, and neutralizing odors. As such, it is also effective in destroying molds and dust mites. Contact us for an ozone treatment today!