Allergy Tips For Your Car
Your car is a place that you spend a lot of time in, more than you may realize. For this reason, it is important to keep your car clean because it is an unexpected place to have high allergen levels that can cause unpleasant allergy symptoms. Here are some tips to keeping your car allergen-free:
- Keep the carpet clean and dry by using plastic or rubber floor mats.
- If something smells unpleasant, find the source. Any leftover food or liquid spills can lead to mold growth.
- If there is mold present, spray the carpets with mold-killing cleaners.
- Make sure weather stripping is intact and there are no leaks to allow water or allergens to enter the car.
- Vacuum upholstered seats and floors because they can harbor dust mites and other allergens. If possible, replace upholstered seats with leather.
- Keep the windows closed and use the air conditioning on the re-circulating cycle.
- Do not use air fresheners because they contain chemicals that can irritate nasal membranes.
- After purchasing a new car, leave the windows rolled down for two days to eliminate the "new car smell." Chemicals from the new car can create irritating fumes. Clean the car after the smell has been eliminated.
- Wipe the dashboard with a wet cloth frequently to eliminate dust.
- When transporting pets, keep them in their cages to reduce the spread of pet allergens.