7 Myths About Healthy Air in Cars

Not only is the ambient air important, but specifically the air inside vehicles as well: during a ten-minute car ride, we already inhale over 70 liters of air – quite a lot. Who wouldn't want to have correspondingly high air quality in their car?

Over time, however, due to polluted ambient air, climate change, and other external factors, fungi and bacteria accumulate in the air conditioning system. These have a corresponding impact on the quality of the air inside the vehicle.

How can one ensure healthy air quality in a car and what is important?

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of half-knowledge circulating in the automotive market, which by no means contributes to clean air in the car. In pursuit of these myths, we took a closer look at 7 of them.

Myth 1

"Air conditioners are maintenance-free and protect me from polluted ambient air"

In most vehicle manuals, automakers inform that an air conditioning system can be used maintenance-free. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Dirt particles and bacteria from the ambient air deposit on components of the air conditioning system.

Only regular preventive cleaning of the air conditioning system (evaporator and pollen filter environment) is, according to VDI-Richtlinie 6032, the only effective method to prevent health-endangering supply air into the vehicle interior².

Myth 2

"Only when there is an unpleasant smell coming from the ventilation, something is wrong"

There's a smell coming from the air conditioning? It's high time to contact a trusted car repair shop. Unfortunately, in most cases, it's already too late!

Even with a neutral perceived odor, the air conditioning can be dirty and thus the air inside the vehicle can be bacterially contaminated. This was shown in an internal study conducted on 50 vehicles. Here, the condensate* was sampled and it was found that in more than half (>25) of these vehicles, the values for germ contamination, which would normally be permissible for drinking water, were exceeded. However, only two out of thirty subjects rated the smell of the interior air of these vehicles as unpleasant, the rest found it neutral to pleasant. This clearly shows that an unpleasant odor is not a reliable indicator of a dirty air conditioning system.

(* Condensation in the air conditioning system can enter the vehicle interior in gaseous form via the evaporator.)

Myth 3

"Air fresheners improve the air quality in the car"

Air fresheners are used as deodorizers in cars. Unfortunately, they merely mask the odors and do not contribute to 'healthy breathing air' at all. On the contrary, they can even trigger allergic reactions and headaches. Odor neutralizers (Air Cleaner,
Air Sanitizer) are also not a long-term solution for clean indoor air in vehicles. They may isolate or remove odor molecules from the air, but they do not combat the source of the bad smell.

Myth 4

"A pressurized can effectively cleans the air conditioning system in vehicles"

A spray can (aerosol; also called a click can) placed in the footwell of the vehicle is also not an effective method for cleaning the air in the car. Its function can be compared to that of air fresheners. Here too, the unpleasant odors in the air (potentially germs and bacteria) are merely masked. The cause of bad air – a dirty air conditioning system – is not addressed here either. For effective cleaning, chemistry alone is not enough – mechanics also play a significant role. This method does not ensure healthy breathing air in the car in the long run.

Mythos 5

"Ozone generators are the panacea for healthy air inside vehicles"

Ozone generators are still widely considered a panacea for indoor treatment. Even when it comes to cleaning air conditioning systems in vehicles, the ozone generator is a popular method in automotive workshops. Although ozone (mostly) eliminates odors, this gas is highly dangerous for humans, animals, and plants. Additionally, the gas attacks materials and causes irreparable damage. Another disadvantage is the long treatment duration (1 to 1 1/2 hours) as well as an extremely long ventilation period (4 to 7 hours) after cleaning – if this is not adhered to, there is an extremely high health risk. An effective cleaning with this method is fundamentally not guaranteed.

Mythos 6

"Cleaning the air conditioner can be done by anyone"

An effective air conditioning cleaning cannot be performed by just anyone. It requires a certain level of expertise regarding air conditioners and can (in most cases) only be done with specialized tools. Therefore, it is advisable to seek a professional service center.

Mythos 7

"Simply replacing the cabin air filter is sufficient for clean air in the car"

The pollen filter extracts pollutants from the ambient air and thus cleans the air flowing into the cabin. However, the performance of the pollen filter decreases over time and the filter becomes clogged. Dirty pollen filters can strain the air conditioning system and the driver in the long run. Changing the pollen filter is essential.

For healthy air in the car, it's not enough to just install a new pollen filter. However, this is often how it's sold to the customer in the dealership's workshop. Unfortunately, this only partially cleans the air conditioning system – a commonly forgotten aspect: Evaporator cleaning. The VDI guideline 6032 also points out what's important: Preventative cleaning of the evaporator and pollen filter is the only effective method to prevent dangerous air from entering the interior of the vehicle.

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[1] Cf. https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/159614/umfrage/wichtig-fuer-die-lebensqualitaet-der-deutschen/ (Accessed: 08.03.2019, 16:42)

[2] Cf. https://m.vdi.de/technik/fachthemen/fahrzeug-und-verkehrstechnik/richtlinien/vdi-6032 (accessed: 08.03.2019, 4:21 PM)

[3] Cf. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wunder-Baum#Funktionsweise (accessed: February 25, 2019, 3:30 PM)

[4] Cf. https://www.krafthand.de/artikel/blick-ins-krafthand-magazin-was-bei-der-ozon-innenreinigung-zu-beachten-ist-16481/ (Accessed: February 25, 2019, 3:57 PM)

[5] Cf. https://m.vdi.de/technik/fachthemen/fahrzeug-und-verkehrstechnik/richtlinien/vdi-6032/ (accessed: 08.03.2019, 4:21 PM)