Back in 2012, Ford Motor Company conducted research with the University of Michigan to see really whats in your car. They mainly focused on employee owned Ford vehicles.
Researchers tested 10 different areas in the car that included buttons, switches, shift knobs, handles, and especially the steering wheel. It was common to see that the steering wheel and area around the cup holders were home to most bacteria. These samples helped Dr. Blaise Boles to pinpoint where the most common place bacteria lived in a car, and the type of microorganisms that lived in those areas.
Ford conducted this test in help of finding a paint to clean these places inside a vehicle, and are testing said product. It is used to not only sterilize the surface, but to also starve the microorganisms to stop microbial growth. Ford wants to use this paint in the cabins of future cars.
But Ford only tested employee owned cars. There could be much more in older cars from the 90's and early 2000's. This was mentioned in the article and said, "the study doesn't distinguish between bacterial growth and the materials used in cars and trucks from other automakers."
So once the paint product is finished, will it only be used on newer production Ford vehicles, or will the public be able to buy this product and paint it on their own cars? Everyone should care about the environment inside their vehicles, and maybe this is one big step towards that.
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-blog/2012/11/Is_Your_Cars_Interior_a_Bacteria_Breeding_Ground/
I really enjoyed reading your post. I especially liked your opening line: “When buying a used car, you don’t just pay for a new vehicle, you also pay for all the bacteria and grossness that the previous owner left behind.” I thought that was just hilarious! I never really thought about the bacteria living inside my car, but damn, that sounds pretty nasty. My car is usually a place where I feel safe, but apparently, you’re never safe from bacteria!
ReplyDeleteGreat opening sentence Dillon--I loved it! It really grabs the reader's attention. You also raise good concerns and questions.
ReplyDeleteRicardo, great observation about your own car. Sometimes I feel as though I'm popping everyone's bubbles of safety.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I had never really thought anything of having a used car…I mean, I cleaned it when I got it, but it was mostly to remove any visible soda spills, cigarette ashes or whatever else I saw floating about. Your opening sentence was really funny and true, “When buying a used car, you don't just pay for a new vehicle, you also pay for all the bacteria and grossness that the previous owner left behind.” That’s so nasty! I always thought of my car as a clean, germ-free place, but I guess not. I take my car to the carwash regularly, but I wonder what they use to clean the inside. Is it some off brand of Windex? Or am I receiving a disinfecting cleanse? Hmmm, I may have to reconsider the fuzzy steering wheel cover; I do not want to know what kind of microbes are clinging to that thing.
ReplyDeleteI just purchased a used car and to hell am I going to clean it thoroughly. Like everyone else, I continued reading this post because I like the opening sentence very much. I'm considering committing to a weekly disinfecting session for my car. It's crazy to think of the many ways bacteria can get into specific areas of my car. I also occasionally eat in my car so that's also something I should change.
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