Sanitizing Your Hands Is NOT Enough: 6 Items in M’sians’ Cars That Collect TONS of Bacteria

Hand sanitisers have become a necessity during this pandemic. But if we merely rely on sanitizing our hands to protect ourselves, confirm cannot pakai. 

Many of us tend to overlook the sanitization of our personal belongings, like wallets, smartphones, and most importantly, CARS that travel to crowded, high-risk places with us! 

Keep on reading to find out which items in your car can harbour TONS of bacteria without you realizing it. Your car is dirtier than you think!

1. We thought the boot only carries our stuff, padahal it also carries bacteria 

Besides carrying your groceries, the trunk or boot also carries the germs and bacteria that reside on your grocery bags. If you purchased frozen and raw food, such as meat, chances are that there will be wet stains on the boot floor. That’s where bacteria and germs breed. 

Best way to clean: Dry-vacuum then spray both the carpet and floorboard with diluted carpet shampoo and wipe. For stubborn stains, soak in glass cleaner for five minutes before scrubbing clean.

2. The driver controls are home to generations of germs and bacteria 

The dirtiest car parts are usually the controls around the driver’s seat, such as the steering wheel, pedals, gearshift, and signal arm, simply because these items are used the most. Maybe the signal arms don’t have bacteria, because Malaysians don’t use signals! Also, let’s not forget when you or your friends tune into your favourite lagu jiwang, bacteria from their fingers will remain all over your centre console buttons. 

Best way to clean: Wipe driver controls and centre console buttons with electrical contact cleaners. Avoid coating the buttons with too much cleaning products, as dirt might flow into cracks. Precision is key!

3. When you tapao drinks, remember to also ‘tapao’ the bacteria in cup holders

Malaysians never forget to tapao drinks from cafes or kopitiams during their car rides. The containers of these drinks harbour bacteria from the baristas and cashiers’ palms. When the drinks are placed in the cup holders, germs begin to inhabit the car.

Best way to clean: Dilute multipurpose cleaners with warm water and pour the mixture into the cup holders until a little puddle is formed. Let the soap water sit for five minutes. Soak up the soap water using a dry cloth and wipe off the residue.

4. Seat belts protect us from severe injuries, but NOT from bacteria 

Since the seat belts are coiled up and hidden from sight, many often forget to clean the seat belts while washing their cars. During car rides, our skin, hair and clothes would rub against the belts, leaving grease, sweat, and bacteria all over. Now you know why some people’s cars are always busuk despite using multiple air fresheners!

Best way to clean: Pull the seat belt all the way out from its retractor and spray it with a multipurpose cleaner. Gently brush the seatbelt and wipe it using a microfiber cloth.

5. We’re not the only occupants of car seats; there’s also bacteria

After a good jog in the park or a quick grocery run, how many of us actually pat dry or sanitise our bodies before hopping into our cars? The sweat from our bodies would most likely seep through our clothes and into the car seats. When the seats are stained with sweat, the warm and humid environment allows bacteria and germs to breed rapidly.

Best way to clean: Gently rub leather seats with leather cleaning wipes, or wipe them with a microfiber cloth that is dampened with a leather cleaner. As for cloth car seats, spray them with all-purpose cleaners and let dry.

6. When we sit on car seats, bacteria from shoe soles sit on car mats 

It’s fair to say that the car mats are the dirtiest items in your car. Imagine stepping on the water puddles in public toilets, or the oily floor tiles of a restaurant, and then returning to your car. The warm and wet car mats make an ideal breeding spot for millions of germs and bacteria!

Best way to clean: Dry vacuum the car mats and soak them in diluted carpet shampoo. Using a stiff-bristled brush, scrub the mats and rinse down all the dirt using a high-pressure hose. Pad the mats using a dry cloth and allow them to dry naturally in the shade.

During the pandemic, our safety and hygiene become more important than ever. Hence, it is wise to clean our cars frequently, and even wiser to replace worn out car accessories with those that are durable, anti-bacterial, and easy to clean!

If like us, you find it tedious to clean your car, especially those nasty car mats, or maybe it’s high time to replace them, might we suggest giving Trapo anti-bacteria car mats a try!

The Japanese patented silver ion technology prevents bacteria and germs from residing on the mats, allowing every piece to be cleaned easily and fast. It takes just a simple rinse to eliminate 99.99% bacteria accumulated on the car mats, and just another 15 minutes for them to dry completely! It’s true, we actually tried it!

Besides being super easy to clean, Trapo car mats have a lot more to offer! Check out what else sets Trapo car mats apart from other regular car mats:

How great are these car mats?! If you’re thinking of getting yourself some, here’s some good news for you!

Trapo is giving our loyal WORLD OF BUZZ readers a special 10% discount on all their products with this promo code: WORLDOFBUZZ10

Hurry though! It’s limited to the first 1,000 customers only.  

What’s more, there is no better time to use the promo code than NOW, because Trapo is releasing not one, but three new-generation car mats!  

• Trapo Hex II

The mat bottom of Trapo Hex II uses Fix anti-slip technology, which provides improved grip without damaging the car’s floorboard. The durability of this mat has been improved, making it ten times stronger than the mats from the previous generation. Besides showcasing the newly launched chocolate brown base and lining colour, this car mat also comes with a brand new padding design!

• Trapo Classic Mark 3

Like every other Trapo car mat, Trapo Classic Mark 3 provides custom measurements for over 1,000 car models! This shows that Trapo puts the safety of their customers first, by preventing their car mats from blocking the brake and acceleration pedals. Trapo Classic Mark 3 also comes with improved durability that is three times stronger than the mats from its previous generation.

• Trapo Eco II

The padding on Trapo Eco II can be detached as an add on (Trapo Eco Duo), allowing customers to place the padding wherever they want on the car mat. To detach the padding, simply unfasten the screws at the back. While securing the padding onto your desired spot, make sure that all screws are securely tucked into the mat surface to prevent slips.

Can’t decide which car mats to choose? No matter which car mats you’re eyeing on, rest assured that all three new-generation car mats possess the following newly added and improved features: 

• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-slip 
• Easy to clean
• Improved durability
• Odour proof
• Waterproof
• Recyclable 
• Stylish, customizable base & lining colours 
• Available for over 1,000 car models  

What are you waiting for? Grab your car mats from the Trapo website now!