Over the past few months, coronavirus has become a big problem. With the number of positive cases growing more and restrictions still easing out, there is an even bigger need to keep cleaning and disinfecting everything you are likely to touch, including your car.
For this, we have laid some simple, yet very necessary steps to clean your car and keep you and the people around you as safe as possible from being infected with COVID-19.
Wash your hands
The first thing that needs to be said is to keep your personal hygiene game strong. Wash your hands regularly. Wash your hands before heading out to your vehicle. Wash your hands at the end of your drive. Keep a sanitiser handy in the car just in case you need to come in contact with people or things outside of your car.
Practice social distancing
This hasn’t been said enough. Cutting down, as much as possible, on human interaction is one of your best defences against the spread of the virus. Make sure to keep safe distances when interacting with the attendants at the petrol pump and avoid handing your car over to anyone else.
Choose your cleaning materials
Depending on what the interior materials in your car are, you will want to choose your cleanser. Isopropyl alcohol is by far the most effective solution against coronavirus and is safe to use on most car interiors. However, you must remember that isopropyl alcohol can cause discoloration of leather, so be careful.
Wipe down hard surfaces
Use the isopropyl alcohol to wipe down all of the hard surfaces in your car. Make sure that more than a thorough cleanse is given to areas that are more frequently touched than others, for example, steering wheel, doors, door latches, cup holders, shifters, dash board, glove compartments and seat adjusters.
Cleaning your upholstery
To clean your upholstery and cloth or leather surfaces, a soap and water combination will work the best. This will not only be effective against the virus, but will be safe to use on leather as well. Do not rub hard, but be thorough. Reach into difficult to reach places, too, just to be safe. When washing the seats, make sure not to use too much water or soap as it can leave evaporation marks behind. Also make sure to use a microfiber cloth if possible. A microfiber cloth is soft enough to help prevent scratches on any of the interiors.
Service the air conditioning system
Finally, keeping your air conditioning system clean can also help. Most fatalities involving the coronavirus can be attributed to other fatal diseases as well. Servicing your air conditioning system can help cleanse it of any disease causing bacteria harboured inside.
We would like to point out that we aren’t health experts, but the best we can do is stay clean and stay calm during these troubled times. Social distancing and personal hygiene will play a big role in keeping you safe for the foreseeable future and while it may still be a while away, we can still look forward to the day when the coronavirus no more a threat to us than the common cold.
