How to Maintain a Clean and Sanitized Car during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Risk of the Coronavirus is not just limited to the household and gatherings, but vehicles also need to be kept germ free considering the huge amounts of time people spend in them.

The war with Coronavirus is against an invisible enemy that can be present anywhere without any trace of it. The only remedy is to uphold high standards of cleanliness and sanitation wherever there is even the slightest chance of the virus being present. Cars inevitably fall in the list of such places.

Cars are full of interior and exterior surfaces where the Coronavirus can not only be found but may also survive for an extended period of time. This is a disaster just waiting to happen in the form of a person coming in contact with the surface and easily contracting the disease.

Just by following some simple yet crucial practices, vehicles can be made free of all sorts of infectious viruses. These can also be made part of the regular car cleaning and care routine even when the specific risk of Covid-19 is ruled out. Here are some of the tried and proven best ways of achieving a germ free car. Before you sell any car use these precautionary measures.

Tips to Clean and Sanitized Car during the Covid-19 Pandemic

1. Rubbing the interior with isopropyl alcohol

It comes as the most obvious and simplest of all solutions. Cleaning all the interior of the car with simply a cloth and isopropyl alcohol gets the job done if it is done properly after just the right intervals of time. It must be made sure that no sort of cleaning products that include bleach are used as they can cause more harm than good to the surfaces of the car.

2. Investing in the right set of tools  

Having just the right set of tools at home can save a lot of stress and difficulty while ridding the car of infectious diseases such as the Coronavirus and also in the regular maintenance of it.  A pressure washer, compatible soap hopper, set of microfiber cloths, carpet cleaners, exterior shampoos, and isopropyl alcohol are common tools for keeping a vehicle clean repeatedly for a very long period of time.

3. Washing the exterior with the right shampoos

The outer body of a car is an ideal place for the prolonged presence and spread of Covid-19. The body must be cleaned with the right shampoos that are suitable for the paint job so that the car is sanitized without risking the unnecessary wearing out of its paint.

4. Whatever touches the hands must be protected

 Turn signals stalks, seatbelts, door handles, steering wheel, gear lever, push start button, sun visors, and the infotainment system are just few of the surfaces that are inevitably touched in each visit inside a car. Other such places that are frequently touched are sites where there may be concentrated presence of the Covid-19 virus. Their sanitization is top priority.

Applying some dressing liquid afterwards also stops them from being faded.

5. Treatment of carpets, upholstery, and leather

The majority of the interior of a car is lined with carpet and most of it comes under the feet or touches hands when present on the doors. Equal importance is given to the upholstery or the leather covers on the seats as they can also retain germs and are most frequently in contact with the passenger. These surfaces cannot be cleaned simply with alcohol. They must first be properly rid of dirt and debris with a vacuum cleaner.

Next, they must be cleaned with the suitable chemical cleaners to ensure germ protection as well as no wear and tear. The use of liquids must be done with care as any liquid left in the car may lead to dampness and odors.

6. Clean the tight spaces

Places in the car such as the air vents, cup holders, and the hood release latch are often left uncleaned. This is due to them coming in very less contact with the hands and also other objects that enter the vehicle. This must be avoided at all costs and equal efforts of cleaning must be done for them.

7. Get all the grime off of your wheels

It cannot be imagined what sort of germs the wheels and tires of the car may bring from the journey outside. These can then easily be transferred into the household by simply parking the vehicle in the garage. It is necessary that before entering inside, the wheels are cleaned with a pressure washer equipped with the soap hopper.

8. Essential Safety Kit

Keeping a bag full of all the protective items inside the car is necessary at all times. These include but are not limited to hand sanitizers, face masks, plastic gloves, wet wipes, and rubbing alcohol along a clean cloth. The common practices of the people using the car must be changed. They must always use and have easy access to all the safety items that are made mandatory by the health authorities.

9. Attention to the Engine Bay 

The engine and all the other things present under the hood of the car are usually considered as the least most important when it comes to their cleanliness as they are the least to come in contact with the passengers. This is a common misconception as parts such as the dipstick, oil cover, radiator valve and many others are touched by maintenance personnel as well as by owners in many instances.

10. Safety at the fuel station

The filler nozzles at a self-service fuel station are obvious hubs for the presence of diseases and unwanted particles. Such sort of fuel stations must be avoided at all costs. Where it cannot be avoided, the use of gloves, napkins, and towels must be made mandatory before touching anything.   

11. Help from the owner’s manual

Not all surfaces of the car can be cleaned properly with the same chemicals. Many of them cause damage to the material that is used for the trim pieces. This can be avoided by simply going through the owner’s manual that comes with the vehicle. It has all the necessary precautions that must be made while disinfecting the car.