Believe it or not, Consumer Reports thinks it’s ok to use a leaf blower to clean the inside of your car… well, kinda.
The consumer products and safety watchdog recently published a short article explaining to drivers when it’s ok and when it’s not ok to use a leaf blower inside your car.
We didn’t know it was ever ok…
“I was surprised to see how many people online recommend using a leaf blower to clean your interior, including some car detailing experts,” said Keith Barry, a Consumer Reports autos editor. “I could see it working in some cases, but remember, leaf blowers are blowing things around rather than picking them up. You could potentially be driving the dust deep into the crevices of your interior.”
Emily Thomas, Consumer Reports’ auto safety engineer, took it one step further: “I can see if you used a low setting to quickly get rid of some larger debris, such as kids tracking in a bunch of grass and leaves. However, I would still follow it up later with an actual vacuum that’s capable of sucking up dirt, gravel, and sand.”
The only real solid piece of advice they offer is to choose an electric blower over a gas one, so as to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
But we’re still confused. Under what circumstances is it ever ok to use a leaf blower inside a car? What purpose could it possibly serve?
We’re thoroughly confused.
Hi think this stems from the HGV transport industry, where lorries are equipped with compressed air systems so many use this to blow out the dust and dirt as an air hose & gun can be had very cheaply Ian’s far more efficient than regular 12/24 volt vacuum cleaners.