A Way That Motorists Can Break the Mold
If your car smells like dirty socks or spoiled milk, you might have sick car syndrome.
The problem goes way beyond a nuisance and in many cases causes such respiratory problems as sneezing, coughing, tightening of the chest and drowsiness.
Although this problem has been around for a long time, it’s getting worse. But there is also good news: Remedies to fix the problem are more effective than ever.
The source of the smelly malady is mold, a single cell organism that grows in the dark and wet environment in your car’s air-conditioning system.
The fungi in your air-conditioning grow on a part called the evaporator core, which is deepinside your dashboard. The core, which looks like a small radiator, circulates cold Freon from the compressor under the hood.
The evaporator core gets wet, because humidity condenses on the core surface. Mold loves wet surfaces and it gets food from pollen in the air, dead insects or bits of leaves that blow in through the outside vents.
Until now, getting the mold off the evaporator core was very costly and repairs often lasted only weeks. You can kill mold with an antimicrobial treatment--even Lysol works--but the mold will reappear.
But a new product by AirSept Inc., a small Atlanta-based firm, is gaining rapid acceptance by auto manufacturers, who are distributing it to their dealerships.
The product, which uses a phosphoric salt encased in acrylic, creates a long duration surface on the evaporator core that is guaranteed to retard mold for a year. It is applied by spraying into the air intakes for the air-conditioning system, according to Myron Stein, AirSept president.
So far, General Motors, Chrysler and six other manufacturers are distributing the product to dealerships, an approval that took three to six years of testing, Stein said. It is not available directly to consumers. A treatment should cost about $75 to $110, depending on a dealer’s labor charge.
A recent GM announcement of the product, which GM markets under the ACDelco name, termed it “a highly effective deodorizer.”
Apart from the treatment, motorists can do plenty to combat mold, Stein said. Remove dead leaves near the air intakes around the windshield cowling. Dry all liquid spills inside the car, especially milk. Clean stale food out of the car. And periodically, run the blower without the air-conditioning on for 10 minutes, because it can dry off the evaporator core.
* Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will attempt to respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, 1875 I St. N.W. #1100, Washington, DC 20006 or E-Mail to Ralph.Vartabedian@latimes.com.
