KEEPING YOUR CAR ALLERGEN-FREE
Allergies are a problem whether you’re at home, at work or in your car. How do you keep your car allergen-free to minimize the sniffling, sneezing and coughing of allergy season? It might seem like a challenge, but there are easy things you can do to reduce allergens in your car and breathe easier.
Break Out the Vacuum
You vacuum your house to get rid of unwanted dirt and dust, and you should do the same in your car to help keep it allergen-free. Especially at the end of winter, a good vacuum can make a world of difference. Not only does this remove surface dirt, but it removes what you can’t see.
Especially if you have fabric seats, vacuuming is a huge help in reducing things like dust, pollen and dust mites. Make sure you vacuum everywhere, even the headrests and backs of the seats to get everything out of the fabric.
Get to Cleaning
Once you’ve thoroughly vacuumed your car, then you need to clean every surface. Vacuuming picked up the dust and debris, but there’s more grime there and it requires a bit more elbow grease to remove. This not only removes potential allergens, but it also makes your car look good.
Pick up car cleaning supplies for glass and car interiors and then get to work. If you have leather surfaces in your car, then purchasing a cleaner specially designed for leather can be helpful, too. An interior car cleaning should include wiping down everything including the windows, dashboard, vents and that cup holder that’s growing its own science experiment.
Ditch the Furry Seat Covers
They might look cute and they might feel great, but furry fabrics are not your friend if you’re trying to keep your car allergen-free. If you need seat covers, simply choose something with a smooth finish that’s unlikely to collect unwanted dust and particles that are floating in the air.
The goal here is to limit all the nooks and crannies where things can collect. While you’re at it, remove any extra clothing you may have hanging around in the backseat. That extra jacket, sweater or blanket is a magnet for dust and that’s no good for allergies.
Replace Your Cabin Air Filter
Air gets into your car every time you open and close the doors or even when you roll down the windows. You can’t do much to improve that air, but there is something you can do to improve the overall quality of the air in your car. Simply replace the cabin air filter.
This should be a part of your regular car maintenance at the interval recommended by the manufacturer. Generally, it’s between 12,000 and 15,000 miles, but if you drive where there’s heavy traffic or lots of dirt in the air, then you’ll want to do it sooner.
Allergies are no fun, but these simple tips will help keep your car allergen-free all year long.
Check out all the interior products available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 16,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on how to keep your car allergen-free, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.
