Pop quiz: What is a cabin air filter?

A. A filter for your Chicago house?
B. A fresh, piney scent?
C. A filter for the passenger compartment of your car?

Clever you, it's C.

A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. It filters out common Illinois air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows.

These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.

Not all Chicago vehicles have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene in Illinois. Last check, about 40 percent of new vehicles sold in Chicago come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year.

Cabin air filters make driving a lot more pleasant for people in Chicago. Your vehicle can be a haven during our Illinois allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. Of course, like all filters, the cabin air filter eventually gets clogged. When this happens, your heating and air conditioning flow can become restricted. The filter can even get kind of smelly.

Check your owner's manual for replacement guidelines. If your vehicle owner's manual doesn't mention your cabin air filter, ask your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Tuffy Chicago (Diversey Pkwy) for a recommendation. It's usually every year or 12,000 miles /19,000 kilometers. Change it sooner if you drive in dusty conditions around the Chicago area, or if you start to notice a funky smell coming from your vents.

The team at Tuffy Chicago (Diversey Pkwy) urges Chicago drivers to keep their cabin air filter cleans. It may not help with your brother-in-law in the backseat, but it will make your driving experience around Chicago more enjoyable.

Come by and we'll take a look at your cabin air filter for you.

Tuffy Chicago (Diversey Pkwy)
1400 West Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, Illinois 60614
773-929-3622