Protect Yourself Against Breathing In Roadside Dirt -- Even When Driving With The Windows Rolled UP

Your car’s windshield protects you against stones, bugs, sand, grit and other roadside debris. Your car’s windows protect you from heat, cold, rain and snow. Your car’s brakes protect you from dangerous collisions. … No less important is your car’s cabin air filter which is designed to ‘safeguard’ your respiratory health and well being – especially when the windows are rolled up and the A/C or heating is turned on

A fresh and clean cabin air filter protects you from breathing in roadside air which is normally contaminated with all manner of pollutants ranging from dust and dirt to smells and odors. The cabin air filter is generally located under the hood or behind the glove box and with most applications easy to change out.

“The air inside a vehicle with a dirty or clogged cabin air filter can actually be six times more polluted than the air outside,” said Kevin O'Dowd, Director of Marketing & Communnications for MANN+HUMMEL Purolator Filters, manufacturer and supplier of BreatheEasy cabin air filters to the North American aftermarket. www.BreatheEasyCabinFilters.com

“With an ever-growing number of people driving with their windows rolled up and the AC/heating turned on, we are trying to educate drivers to replace their vehicle’s cabin air filter in the interest of their own respiratory health and safety,” he said.

For best results, Purolator recommends changing your vehicle’s cabin air filter every 12,000 to 18,000 miles or per the vehicle’s manufacturer’s suggested intervals in the owner’s manual.

Two kinds of cabin filters are available for modern vehicles – the particulate cabin filter and the activated charcoal cabin filter. Purolator offers both particulate and activated charcoal cabin air filters for many vehicles. Either type may be available depending on the make/model of your vehicle. Refer to the owner’s manual or visit the Application Guide on Purolator’s website at www.BreatheEasyCabinFilters.com to see if a vehicle has a cabin air filter.

Purolator’s BreatheEasy cabin air filters feature specially engineered media that can capture and hold even the finest particles of contaminants such as dust, soot, pollen, fungus and bacteria. These filters are electrostatically charged, similar to many household HVAC filters, to ensure that particles stay attached to the filter.

The activated charcoal cabin filter adsorbs most toxic and foul-smelling gases such as ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons, keeping odors out of the car’s cabin.

According to O'Dowd, cabin air filters can be installed anywhere from less than 10 minutes to about an hour, depending on the location. Look for them under the dash, behind the glove box, or in the air box in the engine compartment. Purolator BreatheEasy cabin air filters come packaged with clearly illustrated vehicle-specific instructions that make installation simple for do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) or professional technicians.

Also available to everyone, are the Purolator PROs, a team of experts who will answer any filter-related question, free of charge, via personal e-mail. Purolator PROs can be contacted through www.purolatorautofilters.com.

Look at it this way. By replacing your vehicle’s dirty cabin air filter – a relatively inexpensive device – with a fresh clean one you ensure that you are protected against breathing in dirty, polluted air while driving with the windows rolled up. What a small price to pay for breathing clean air inside your car.