How Ultra Pure ClO2 Outperforms Standard Surface Cleaning for Rideshare and Taxi Fleets
The Challenge
Passenger vehicles are ideal breeding grounds for bacteria, mold, viruses, and pathogens that spread cold and flu viruses. As microbial and fungal populations grow, the risk of illness increases for both drivers and passengers, and persistent odors become difficult to eliminate with conventional cleaning products.
Odor Smarts set out to measure the effectiveness of two treatment protocols across two comparable passenger vehicles. The goal: reduce bacteria and fungi to safe levels and fully eliminate associated odors.
Treatment Protocols
Cab A: Hard, nonporous surfaces cleaned and disinfected using Selectrocide (Ultra Pure ClO2 liquid disinfectant). No gas treatment applied.
Cab B: Same Selectrocide surface treatment as Cab A, followed by a one-hour Clobberizer gas treatment delivering 99.9% pure chlorine dioxide gas throughout the vehicle interior.
Surface swabs were taken from multiple locations before and after each treatment. Colony Forming Units (CFU) were counted to quantify bacteria and fungi levels.
Results
CFU (Colony Forming Units) measures the number of viable microbial colonies present in a sample. Lower numbers indicate a cleaner, safer environment.
Surface cleaning with Selectrocide eliminated the majority of bacteria and fungi across all tested locations, with only trace counts remaining on the steering wheel and foot well.
The combined protocol of Selectrocide surface cleaning followed by the Clobberizer Ultra Pure ClO2 gas treatment brought every tested surface to zero detectable bacteria and fungi. Pre-treatment levels in Cab B were significantly higher in some locations, including over 10 million CFU in the foot well and 8 million CFU at the passenger door. All were reduced to zero after treatment.
Context: How Dirty Is a Taxi?
For perspective, consider the bacterial counts found on common everyday surfaces: