Water in your wiper fluid can kill you!

[Jngrbrdman]

From Consumerist.com

If you`re cheap and/or lazy and use only water as your windshield wiper fluid, you could increase your risk of contracting Legionnaire`s disease and pneumonia, according to a new study. That`s right, treat your car poorly and it will try to kill you.

The Legionella bacterium thrives in warm water. The chemicals in wiper fluid probably makes the fluid tank a less fun place to live, so go without, and it`s a Legionnaire`s dance club. The fluid is intermittently splashed onto the windshield, creating an aerosol, that can then get sucked into through the ventilation, and into your lungs.

So don`t be a skinflint, make sure to adequately maintain your windshield wiper fluid levels, or the legionaries will come after you.

From THIS SITE.

A source of infection is rarely identified for sporadic cases of Legionnaires’ disease. We found that professional drivers are five times more commonly represented among community acquired sporadic cases in England and Wales than expected. We therefore investigated possible risk exposures in relation to driving or spending time in a motor vehicle. A case control study including all surviving community acquired sporadic cases in England and Wales with onset between 12 July 2008 and 9 March 2009 was carried out. Cases were contacted by phone and controls were consecutively recruited by sequential digital dialling matched by area code, sex and age group. Those who consented were sent a questionnaire asking questions on driving habits, potential sources in vehicles and known risk factors. The results were analysed using logistic regression. 75 cases and 67 controls were included in the study. Multivariable analysis identified two exposures linked to vehicle use associated with an increased risk of Legionnaires’ disease: Driving through industrial areas (OR 7.2, 95%CI 1.5–33.7) and driving or being a passenger in a vehicle with windscreen wiper fluid not containing added screenwash (OR 47.2, 95%CI 3.7–603.6). Not adding screenwash to windscreen wiper fluid is a previously unidentified risk factor and appears to be strongly associated with community acquired sporadic cases of Legionnaires’ disease. We estimated that around 20% of community acquired sporadic cases could be attributed to this exposure. A simple recommendation to use screenwash may mitigate transmission of Legionella bacteria to drivers and passengers.

[tuscarora dave]

That`s an interesting read. I never would have thought of any problem with using water only, other than:

1. It will not clean off bug guts.
2. It will freeze in the winter, leaving you with a cracked reservior.

Now everybody order up a gallon of Poorboy`s Bug Squash, add 1 ounce to your washer fluid reservior and watch the magic happen the next time you squirt your windshield!

[Poorboy]

That`s an interesting read. I never would have thought of any problem with using water only, other than:

1. It will not clean off bug guts.
2. It will freeze in the winter, leaving you with a cracked reservior.

Now everybody order up a gallon of Poorboy`s Bug Squash, add 1 ounce to your washer fluid reservior and watch the magic happen the next time you squirt your windshield!

Dave I just did that to the van last week

[Pockets]

Dave I just did that to the van last week

Sure did bye bye buggies

[Mister B]

Now everybody order up a gallon of Poorboy`s Bug Squash, add 1 ounce to your washer fluid reservior and watch the magic happen the next time you squirt your windshield!

Hey, another possible use for that Bug Squash that I just purchased this afternoon.

[Bunky]

What would be the best amount to add to a full gallon of washer fluid?

[tuscarora dave]

What would be the best amount to add to a full gallon of washer fluid?

All I did was put a splash of it in there, maybe an ounce or so. I dont measure stuff so sorry I cant give you a specific amount.

[Jngrbrdman]

That would have been useful information to have on my trip from SLC to Sacramento last week. I was scared to use my wipers the whole way down and back. Fortunately I greased up the windshield with RainX before I left, so the rainstorm from Reno to Sacramento sort of washed them off on the way and then did it again on the way back from Reno to Elko. Still.... I`ll have to give that a shot on my next road trip. I hate bugs...