In these Covid-19 times, and with more and more “drive-in” outdoor events taking place, your car is your protective bubble to the outside world.
There has never been a more important time to clean and disinfect car interiors. You need to disinfect the inside of your vehicle to make sure it is clean from the coronavirus while at the same time not causing any damage. Hopefully this blog post will lend some insight and helpful tips.
First let’s talk about where germs hide inside your vehicle and what to concentrate your cleaning on.
Be sure to clean and regularly change to ensure good cabin air quality.
Floor carpet and seat upholstery can trap dust, crumbs and other particles that can be a surface for bacteria to grow on.
Outside and inside door handles, window, lock, mirror & radio buttons, touchscreen navigation, steering wheel, gear shifter, climate controls, wiper & turn signal levers, seat belts, arm rests, grab handles, seat adjustments and vent ducts.
Keys get set down on other surfaces and are handled frequently.
Now let’s talk about some basic cleaning tips and preventative measures you can take to keep your passenger vehicle clean and your passengers as safe as possible.
Clean first with soap and water. Then use an EPA Registered Antimicrobial Product for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
Vacuum the carpet and cloth seats using the brush attachment. Then, using the crevice tool, vacuum all the nooks of the seat stitching and also under the seats. Shampoo your cabin’s carpet, floor mats and any cloth material from time-to-time. Then disinfect according to CDC guidelines.
Wipe visible dirt off with microfiber cloth. Then disinfect following the manufacturers instruction. If no manufacturer guidelines exist, you may use a 70% alcohol-based wipe or spray. It is a good idea to test any cleaning product in a small area first.
Soap and water is the best option here. These types of seats have a protective urethane coating, and using alcohol-based cleaners can cause damage over time. Use small amounts of soapy water and don’t aggressively scrub. Apply a conditioner on leather seats to avoid cracking.
While these are all great tips to follow, the deep cleaning takes time to accomplish. We recommend following these cleaning and disinfectant once a month. However, we also understand that many of you are always on-the-go. It’s a good idea to keep disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer in your vehicle to clean surfaces and your hands prior to operating the vehicle or touching interior surfaces. TRAVEL SAFE!
