A new report from the U.K.’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) suggests that your windscreen-washer tank might be harboring some unwanted guests – namely, the bacteria that trigger Legionnaires’ disease. According towards the HPA’s pilot study, scientists discovered traces in the bacteria in one of five windscreen-washer reservoirs that were filled with plain, stagnant water. Reservoirs that carried an additive-based windshield-washer fluid didn’t show any sign on the fatal bacteria.
The study also showed that folks who spent far more time behind the wheel, like taxi drivers, had been 20 percent a lot more likely of catching the illness. If you would like to steer clear of this dilemma like the plague (pun intended), fill your windshield-washer reservoir with a reputable, brand-name windshield washer fluid.