Your car just turned 10 years old and you can’t for the life of you figure out what that smell is. You have cleaned it several times, tried air fresheners, but the smell persists. Chances are it is your car’s carpet and it is ready for a replacement.
Bacteria can be a nasty nuisance in your car. Unfortunately, for every yearly milestone your car hits, the more bacteria, mold, micro-organisms and even fungi will grow and produce a mildew smell. Your car is the perfect environment for germs to thrive. In fact, cars tend to be dirtier than your home, harboring 17,000 times more bacteria in such a small space, according to a study conducted by GAP Environmental Services.
And what is worse, germs constantly piggyback off of you and items that are taken in and out. Take your trunk for example. Let’s say you go shopping for groceries. Where do you put them? In the trunk, of course. But they’re not alone back there. Your groceries have company, 850 counted bacteria as company, according to a study conducted by the Aston University in Birmingham.
If you happen to have kids, your car is expected to have an even greater number of bacteria, according to a celebrity microbiologist by the name of Charles P. Gerba. The tiny hands of your children struggle with their drinks and food, it spills or crumbles and germs are then provided with sustenance. This creates a cycle that’s hard to break when 70 percent of drivers eat and drink and their cars. As these germs grow in numbers and infest the new groceries you bought, they’re then given a free ride into your home.
What you end up with is more sick days than you care to use. Since the average citizen commutes 20 to 26 minutes, the longest being about 30 to 46 minutes, that’s ample time and opportunity for germs to invade your body and cause unwanted illnesses.
What you can do is invest in that new replacement carpet you were looking at. Maybe those classic car floor mats to protect from further gunk seeping into your car’s carpet. If your vehicle is older than 1990, then now is the time to also install mass backing into your vehicle since before 1990 mass backing was not standard. Classic car floor mats also offer authenticity if your car is much older. Find custom carpet if you’re looking for something unique as well.
