3 Bacterial ‘Hot Spots’ for Grads of Auto Detailing Training to Look Out For

Drivers can be a bit messy from time to time. They might be driving home after a hike outdoors, grabbing some grub after a long day at work, or heading home after hitting the gym. Over time, the bacteria on a driver’s hands can end up on any number of places inside their car. Enough of this stuff accumulating can result in odour setting up shop, and in an enclosed space like a car, that’s bad news.

With the goal of preventing microbial odour from taking over cars, a recent study has endeavoured to discover the dirtiest spots inside vehicles. The following are a few places researchers pointed out as being among the worst offenders in the average car, and places grads of auto detailing will want to focus on when cleaning interiors.

1. When Auto Detailing, Never Forget to Clean the Steering Wheel

A driver’s hands can harbour thousands of bacteria, so anything they come into contact with tends to be a bacterial hotspot. In the average car, the steering wheel is one of the hottest hotbeds for microbial activity, and one of the spots that should be cleaned thoroughly when an interior is being detailed by a professional.

It’s worth noting that researchers are looking into beneficial new anti-bacterial coatings so that future auto detailers might be able to coat steering wheels in new, microbe-fighting materials. This could help pre-emptively cut down on odour and bacteria build up. Specifically, Carsguide.com notes that silver-ion’s sterilizing properties make it a likely choice for future inclusion in cars. Who knows, you might one day see this product after you begin your detailing career.

2. Spilled Drinks and Regular Hand Contact Make Cup Holders Another Bad Spot

A drip of morning coffee. A spritz of soda flying out of a new can. Liquid—especially sugary liquid—is prime breeding ground for microbes, and it tends to accumulate in and around cup holders. For that reason, it’s not especially surprising that when studied, cup holders proved to be another main spot where detailers can find bacteria.

Regular cleanings, and special attention by those with auto detailing training, are pretty much the only solutions to keeping this problem area sanitary, so aspiring detailers often make a point of targeting this spot when completing interior work.

3. Knobs and Switches Are Other Spots Pros With Auto Detailing Training Target

Finding microbes in cars is not necessarily a trivial matter. Bacteria commonly found in cars include regular ones like Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, which are often not harmful to humans. But in some cases bacterial hotspots in cars can also harbour more malicious bugs like E. coli and salmonella. For that reason, regular cleaning from a professional is important.

Graduates of auto detailing programs know to carefully clean each part of the interior, even if it looks clean to the eye. Clean knobs and switches, for example, might not be the first thing a client thinks of when they bring their car in, but cleaning these bacterial hotspots is important. Knobs and switches, whether on the dash or doors, are some of the other spots you can expect to see lots of microbial activity throughout your career.

Want to get in on the world of professional automotive detailing?

Visit Automotive Training Centre to speak with an academic advisor!