How to Maintain a Healthy Environment Inside Your Vehicle

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MS -- Over the last several years, homeowners have increasingly emphasized clean air in their homes. The growing popularity of home air purifiers suggests today's homeowners want to make certain the environment inside their home is as healthy as possible.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120306/NY64610 )

While protecting the environment in a home is important, it's equally as important for motorists to maintain a healthy environment in their vehicles. The average American spends roughly 10 to 15 hours per week inside a car, where dust, odors, smoke and other potentially sour smells can make riding in a car rather unpleasant. In addition, air pollution and allergens inside a vehicle can pose a significant health risk to drivers and their passengers. Fortunately, there are several steps drivers can take to maintain a healthy environment inside their vehicle.

• Improve air quality. Perhaps the best way drivers can ensure their passengers have a healthy environment while traveling in a car is to improve the air quality within the vehicle. The GoPure Automotive Clean Air System from Philips quickly and effectively purifies the air inside a vehicle by eliminating harmful gases, dust, pollen, smoke, odors, and bacteria. Employing a 3-stage filtering process, the GoPure system, which can be easily placed beneath a seat, in the rear of the vehicle or on a seatback, captures big particles, such as human hair and pet hair, during the pre-filter stage before the HEPA filter removes these particles and others, including pollen and pet dander. In the final stage, GoPure's advanced HESA filter removes harmful gases and even bad odors, such as those caused by smoke.

• Clean the vehicle's interior. Over time, a neglected interior might begin to grow mildew, which is both unhealthy and unpleasant. In general, clean the vehicle's interior once a month to prevent mildew growth and the buildup of dirt and grime.

• Don't fall in love with the "new car smell." Few consumers can resist the famed "new car smell." Though enticing, a new study from the nonprofit Ecology Center and HealthyStuff.org determined that the new car smell is actually an outgassing of toxic chemicals from newly formed plastics, and the chemicals in these gases have been linked to birth defects, thyroid problems, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births, and early puberty in laboratory animals.

"Research shows that vehicle interiors contain a unique cocktail of hundreds of toxic chemicals that give off gas in small, confined spaces," Jeff Gearhart, research director at the Ecology Center, said in a written statement. "Since these chemicals are not regulated, consumers have no way of knowing the dangers they face. Our testing is intended to expose those dangers and encourage manufacturers to use safer alternatives."

Though this doesn't mean consumers should avoid buying new cars, it should inspire consumers to address the new car smell immediately. GoPure's HESA filter can easily and effectively remove the harmful gases that stem from the new car smell, while continuously removing additional odors as the car ages.

More information about the GoPure Automotive Clean Air System from Philips is available at www.philipsgopure.com or 800-257-6054.

SOURCE Philips

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED