The coronavirus has become a serious issue from the past few months. Personal vehicles are among the most frequented modes of transport, but these are also the most severely contaminated spaces that cause the virus to spread. The frequently touched surfaces such as steering wheel, door handles, shift lever, driver door armrests, and various other spaces should be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected to minimize the spread of the infection.
People use cars to avoid interaction with others while traveling, mainly the doctors who need to reach their workplaces even in the lockdown. As much staff published in concern of human health and hygiene, alongside it is also crucial to know the best vehicle disinfected.
The center for disease control and prevention (CDC) suggests wearing nonreturnable gloves for disinfecting surfaces. If you see the dirt on the surface, you can start with cleaning, and for eliminating the contaminated germs, you can use disinfectant wipes & sprays or soap & water to keep your vehicle in good condition. To clean the car or any vehicle, you need microfiber cloth damped with soap and water that you can use to scrub the hard surface.
You can clean your car with the all-purpose household product, but be careful; some of them are not ideal for the vehicle. Do not use the benzene, bleach, thinners, hydrogen peroxide, or other harsh and corrosive cleaners because these products can damage your car, interior and upholstery surface.
You can use laundry disinfectant washing powder or alcohol-based disinfectant wipes & sprays (it must contain at least 70 percent alcohol) to make effectively work against COVID-19 as per CDC recommendations as well as safe against disinfecting the vehicle also. For the advertorial, screens are the frequently touched area and it is essential to clean them with the right cleaners and disinfectants. To clean the screen surface, use disinfectant wipes & sprays or soft cloth damped with soap and water.
For the advertorial, you should not use the ammonia-based cleaner for the screen because it damages the anti-fingerprint coatings and anti-glare.
For the regular cleaning you have to prepare the checklist, don’t forget to add the following points.
- Center console and armrest
- Turn signal lever
- Gear selector
- Steering wheel
- Exterior door handles, both sides
- HVAC vents
- Parking brake handle, parking brake or release lever
- Windshield wiper controls
- Rearview mirror, back and edges
- Avoid the harsh cleaner on seat belt and buckle because this will devalue the fibres and belt’s strength.
- Start button
- Counter stack knobs
- Interior door pulls from all around
- Key and remote fob
- Truck lid
If it is standard cleaning, then you can do it yourself but if your car needs extra attention then you can hire the professionals who can work effectively to keep your car clean.
How To Do Appropriate Cleaning Of You Car?
For the maintenance of the hygiene atmosphere around your car, it’s essential to clean and sanitized the car. Below discussed the critical points of cleaning a car in the period of COVID-19. So, that you can travel freely:
1. Maintain A Personal Hygiene
- The most fundamental measure is to maintain self-hygiene in your vehicle.
- Wash your hands before touching the steering. This will prevent the dangerous pathogens that contaminate your vehicle.
- Wash your hand after completing your journey to ensure the safety of others.
- Cover your mouth with a mask adequately while coughing or sneezing because of COVID-19 spread through the respiratory droplets.
- Keep the alcohol-based sanitizer in your car along with the trash bag and a box of tissues.
2. Thoroughly Disinfect The Cabin
The sick person or person with the symptoms of COVID-19 can contaminate the surface and infect others through respiratory droplets. On the surface, the virus can remain active for a few days. However, it is essential to clean the surface grimes and dirt before using an effective disinfectant that works to kill the bacteria and other microorganisms.
Before disinfecting, vacuum the interior of the cabin and remove the dust from the surfaces like door pads, seats, and the dashboards. Remember to clean the hard-surface area and clean the crannies and nooks.
3. Disinfect The High-Touched Surface
- Once you finish cleaning the cabin, you can begin cleaning the highly-touched surfaces, including both exterior and interior. Such as touchscreens, all the buttons and knobs, seatbelt buckles, seat adjustment levers, hand brake, gear shifter, dashboard, steering wheel, grab handles, and sun visors of the cabin.
- Scrub the surfaces thoroughly with disinfectant wipes & sprays and remove the contagions grimes. Keep doing this process until the surface gets decontaminated. Choose the disinfectants carefully that do not cause harm to your cabin material, furniture, and electronics. Make-sure avoid using one cleaner for cleaning your entire household as some of them are not suitable to use on a particular surface. Do not use the ammonia and hydrogen peroxide-based product because it will damage your car.
- There are several interior cleaner and shampoos available in the market to clean the materials. With the help of disinfectant wipes & sprays, clean the door regularly. If buying the exclusive products does not fit into your pocket, you can use old soap. The soap can remove any virus. This is why doctors are recommending washing the hand with soap at least for 20 seconds. Apart from these all, you can choose the generic shampoos to prevent interior trims.
- With the damped microfiber cloth, you can scrub the door handles and dashboards be careful not to damage any electronics. If any soapy marks left on the surface, then it can be removed with the polish.
- You can also make use of alcohol, as per the international medical bodies guidelines rubbing the car surface with 60 percent alcohol can decontaminate the car’s interior. The surgical spirit has 70 percent isopropyl alcohol that is safe for cabin material. Drizzle it on the soft cloth and mob the high touched surface.
4. Disinfect The Upholstery
- Cleaning cars, seatback pockets, headrests, armrests, and backrests are also essential. Use soap & water or alcohol to clean the upholsteries of various fabrics (leather and vinyl).
- Make sure you clean the upholstery as per material. If the fabric is leather, they avoid using scrubbing or alcohol because it will discolor the material. Use some restraint and after that particular product like condition to maintain the shine of the leather.
- For fabric upholstery, using too much soap and water make the situation worse because cushioning will seep the soap & water. Use the damped cloth and scrub the seat, or if you don’t want to take the risk, go with dry cleaning or steam cleaning by professionals.
5. Service The HVAC System
Due to COVID-19, it is essential to attribute to comorbid diseases. So servicing the air-conditioner system is suitable for removing bacteria and fungi. Service the system from professionals, and if you want to clean it on your own, then remember to clean the air filter and spray the rear AC vent and air-con vent.
6. Follow Social Distancing
Social distancing is not only for people but also extends to your vehicle. Do not handle your car with the valet, and at the gas station, make some distance from the pump attendants. Try to pay through digital wallets if possible.
Apart from your workplace and home, most of the time you spend in your car. If anyone or you show some symptoms travel in the car, then the cabin is contaminated, and it alerts that frequent sanitation needs. Follow that step and stay safe from the contagions risk.
