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  1. #1
    rzatch's Avatar
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    Does your car or the car you just scheduled to detail have the potential to make you sick? This is a question I imagine not many have you have ever thought of and to be honest in my 30 years of detailing I never did either. We put more thought into making paint shiny or getting that stain out of the seat or carpet than we do protecting our self from getting sick in the process.` That is until I received a new product called Odor Aid from Chris West the creator of Solution Finish and started researching whether a product like this is really needed. It didn’t take much surfing to find out that the inside of your car or the car your about to detail is a breeding ground for germs and in a lot of cases more germs infested than a public toilet seat.` And then one of the detailers from the Face Book group I belong to Detailer Buddies got sick this summer from a dirty interior he detailed and spend several days in the hospital and the question was answered. Yes its needed.


    `


    So all gloved up and armed with your favorite APC and micro fiber towel you jump in and start on your transformation to turn the interior to a like new condition but what you may not think about is who was in the car before you: Were they clean? Were they sick? And could that make you sick?

    One of the reports I read was by Jeff Rosen of Today News. In his report they tested six rental vehicles and in some of them they found visible filth, including mystery stains as well as a hairball.` They hired scientists from a certified laboratory. Armed with gloves and goggles, they swabbed every car from top to bottom: the steering wheels, gearshifts, door handles, even the GPS units. One of the minivans they tested showed dangerous bacteria, including something called human bacteroides all over the steering wheel. Translation: Human fecal matter. A rental car seat they tested tested positive for sewage contamination. While this report is about rental cars the car your detailing is essentially that, your rental car for the day that you’re going to clean and potentially be exposed to all these same germs.


    `


    Another report was by Health 24 website in their report they state the average vehicle has approximately 283 different types of bacteria in every square centimetre, according to a study from the Aston University in Birmingham. The study was led by Anthony Hilton, the university’s director of Biology and Biomedical Science. The gear stick was said to be home to approximately 356 different germs, while your trunk, where you normally place all your groceries, contains about 850 bacteria.


    `


    And another study conducted by by Charles Garba and Sheril Maxwell, found that married people have more bacteria in their cars than single people. The same study found that females have more bacteria in their cars than males and cars that transport children on a regular basis had more bacteria than cars that did not carry children.

    The car is consistently dirtier than the home, having 1700 times more bacteria, according to a study done by GAP Enviromicrobial Services. The cup holder in a car has 228% more bacteria than the average toilet seat according to Jessica Shaw, an environmental scientist who took part in the study.


    Personally I have no idea if the APC’s I use as my go to cleaners for interiors is killing all the germs or not so I have changed my approach to cleaning interiors and maintaining my own cars. I now use Odor Aid on my personal cars and any interiors I now do.` My method for doing a detail car is the same as I did on the minivan we rented this summer. Real simple, put on some gloves and coat every surface, if I can reach it, it gets sprayed. I did the van in the rental lot before I ever got in to drive it.

    The Odor Aid name gives the impression that it is going to be some type of air freshener type spray. In actuality it has a very light clean fresh smell to it that doesn’t last very long at all after the product has fully dried.` The directions say to spray directly onto any hard surface and wipe off.` The spray head provides a very fine atomized mist and there is no residue or change in appearance of the surface it was applied to.


    Odor Aid is clinically proven to eliminate the following:

    Bacteria:`

    • Staph

    • Strep

    • MRSA

    • VISA • Influenza type A / Brazil


    `


    Viruses:


    • Norwalk


    • Respiratory Syncytial` Virus (RSV)

    • Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1&2

    • Human coronavirus

    • SARS associate coronavirus``


    `


    `


    ODOR-AID is also a mildewstat and will effectively inhibit the growth of mold and mildew and the odors caused by them when applied to hard surfaces. With its non-aerosol bottle and 360 degree sprayer ODOR-AID effectively targets even the most hard to reach places to thoroughly disinfect and deodorize.


    `


    [attachment=10064dor aid.png]


    `


    `


    For more information or ordering contact Chris West at Solution Finish.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Nth Degree's Avatar
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    Excellent point. `I try to talk about this with potential customers and I think, more often than not, it comes off as a scare tactic. `Can you PM me links to the studies you cited? `

  3. #3
    Dan's Avatar
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    I`m a little skeptical when a product claims to easily kill various organisms. That`s the rub with chemicals and life, if they can kill microorganisms, they are toxic to humans. And the majority of products sold require way more product to be used to be effective than would normally be used (picture someone spraying Lysol into the air vs reading the directions about wetting surfaces).

    Lastly a lot of plastics are sensitive to the chemicals used in these products.

    I think protecting yourself is more important and that is a whole big subject in itself.

  4. #4
    rzatch's Avatar
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    Nth Degree I simply Googled germs in cars and came up with more than I needed to confirm it`s a real problem but here are the ones I cited in this post.


    `


    http://www.today.com/news/rossen-rep...ria-1D79841756


    `


    http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Ma...r-car-20120721


    `


    Dan good points but this product doesn`t claim to easily kill various organisms and it does warn against breathing the spray but that is true with any chemical. `As with all products there`s directions for use for a reason. Odor Aid makes different products for different applications and this one is the auto version. The directions state the treated surface must remain wet for 10 minutes to be fully effective. So far of the cars I`ve used it on I`ve seen no ill effects on any surface not to say that it may not happen.

  5. #5
    HeavenlyV6's Avatar
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    Very interesting indeed.` I think this thread brings up several great points.` Protecting yourself with the appropriate protective gear and having a product in your arsenal that can help keep these germs at bay.` Thanks for sharing the info.` Great stuff!

  6. #6
    SweatTheDetails's Avatar
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    Steam.` The killing of germs while being chemical free is alway a selling point i use on customers. Sorry if im stepping on your ad.

  7. #7
    tom p.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rzatch



    <span style="font-size:14px;">How many germs are in the car your about to clean??

    `


    Top Gear has done a couple of episodes on this topic...used cars were purchased and they had the scientist guys analyzing what was left behind by previous occupants.` While it was enormously entertaining, some of the results were kind of disturbing about the type of contaminants that were identifiable and lingering...
    Cars: bringing people together

  8. #8

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    The only time I absolutely use a mask is when there`s mold in the car. `Other times, if the car is a child hauler I may or may not use a mask but I always wash my hands before I eat and I don`t touch my face or rub my eyes and I wear gloves for interiors if they look bad or if the person has smoked in the car. `*Nicotine will get through your skin and the buzz isn`t pleasant.`


    `


    My point is this: `Just because there`s a detectable bacteria or virus doesn`t mean there`s a risk. ` It takes more than a mere presence, it takes an effective amount to be dangerous. `If we were seeing posts about people getting sick all over the place doing cars I`d say there is a serious risk. `As it is, I don`t think detailing is a particularly - more than average - dangerous occupation when it comes to this. `On the other hand, if I were detailing cars at a medical facility I`d probably up my protection somewhat.


    `


    Robert

 

 

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