Question

The other day, my doctor went to have his car washed. The workers had oil all over them, which ended up on the seats. I asked them to thoroughly clean the seats, but they couldn’t get it off, so they sprayed a chemical substance to clean it up. The smell inside the car was unbearable, and since it’s winter and we can’t open the windows, I’ve been driving without doing so. Today, I took my wife and child to the market, which required a 15-minute car ride. The child was exposed to the fumes inside the car. After circling around the market for about 20 minutes, we went back home by car again. Back and forth, I ended up needing about 30 minutes in the car. Will this substance cause harm to my child? Thank you for the expert advice. I’ve been trying to avoid letting my child ride in the car after washing it today. Thank you.

Answer

Based on the situation you described, I believe that an occasional incident is not significant; being inside the car for only half an hour is short and the harm is minimal. If the smell inside the car is particularly strong, you can use some activated carbon to help stabilize it. Additionally, opening windows for ventilation is still important; if that’s not possible, consider replacing them. It’s best to keep children from touching these substances as much as possible. Drinking more water can help accelerate metabolism.