Rid Your Car Of Coronavirus – How To Disinfect Your Car

In the middle of a pandemic, there is naturally a lot of concern for everyone to stay safe.  It’s no surprise that people are worried about keeping their car, a tool used every day, where we are all in close quarters, safe and free of the virus.

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While we wish we had a fancy magic trick to share with you, it really boils down to one main action: disinfect, disinfect, and disinfect some more. 

That sounds pretty simple so far, but it’s worth mentioning that disinfecting your car is different from disinfecting your home. The best ways to clean your home are not always the best ways to rid your car of coronavirus. Using the same materials you use in the home may lead to lasting damage in the car. 

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Rid your car of coronavirus by following the tips below:

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Always Wash Or Disinfect Your Hands

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One of the best and easiest ways to keep your car virus-free is by basic hand washing and disinfection. Avoid the headache of harboring germs and viruses in your car by keeping them off your vehicle in the first place. 

Frequent hand washing and disinfection before you get into your vehicle will help prevent the spread of the virus within your car. This can also help you stay virus-free even if you do not commit to a day-to-day cleaning of your vehicle. 

If you can’t wash your hands before getting into your car, always keep hand sanitizer, alcohol, or disinfecting wipes available in your vehicle for immediate disinfection. In general, it’s best to wash or disinfect your hands every hour, if possible. 

Do be aware that if you are thinking of keeping a large bottle of sanitizer in your car, you are setting yourself up for a mess.  Heat buildup inside your car can make the bottle expand, resulting in leakage.  It is better to have a small bottle that you can carry around for immediate disinfection.

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Disinfect Surfaces Immediately With Wipes

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Washing, wiping, and disinfecting your hands can only ensure your safety for a short time. Eventually, you need to disinfect your car to keep it free from the virus. 

There are different options for disinfecting your vehicle. The easiest one is to use disinfecting wipes to immediately clean off the germs on surfaces. Wipe down the internal surfaces of your car to disinfect.

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Identify High-Touch Areas That Need Thorough Disinfection

You can identify these high-touch areas based on those areas that you regularly contact upon getting into your car until getting out of it. Use wet wipes to clean these areas frequently. 

You can also consider using microfiber cloths for screen displays. High touch areas like electronics should not be disinfected using wet materials. Instead of using wipes, you can use microfiber cloths with alcohol on these areas, such as in screen displays. Do not use glass cleaners on screens. This is your best option for immediate and frequent disinfection.

Use alcohol or soap and water for the interiors

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If you have the time to reach all the interior surfaces that need disinfection, you can always rely on the traditional cleaner that uses soap and water or alcohol. Since you are not in a hurry, you can wipe down the car interiors thoroughly to ensure that you are not missing any area that could allow the virus to thrive. 

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Rid Your Car of Coronavirus – Wash the Exterior Of Your Car Too

You should also consider taking your car to a nearby car wash to clean its exterior. The virus can survive for some time on the exterior of your car and find its way inside as you get inside your vehicle. If there is no car wash service available, you can always find time to wash your car properly at home with soap and water to eliminate the virus that could have stayed on its outer surface. 

This does not have to be a daily chore. Performing the simpler daily disinfections will allow you to space out washing the outside of your vehicle.

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Vacuum Or Wash Items In The Laundry If Possible

 

Another way to disinfect your car is by using vacuum for areas inside your car that accumulate dirt. Dirt and other particles inside your car should also be removed before disinfecting it.

If there are washable items in your car, do the laundry. This can ensure that covers and other washable items in your car are properly disinfected. 

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Disinfect the HVAC Unit

The virus spreads primarily through surfaces since droplets are too heavy to stay in the air for a long period of time, however, the World Health Organization has also emphasized that it has some potential for traveling by air. 

Using an HVAC unit inside your car increases the chance that the virus could circulate with the air within the car, thus, disinfecting your car thoroughly will be useless if you fail to disinfect the HVAC unit. 

The virus caught within the unit could spread easily once you turn on the HVAC. Make sure that you ask assistance in cleaning the HVAC unit of your car. Experts in car maintenance can help you ensure a virus-free air circulation within your vehicle.

Check The Steering Wheel

Among all interior parts of your car, one of the main areas you need to focus on disinfecting is the steering wheel. Aside from being one of the high-touch surfaces, the edges, cracks, and crevices are areas where the virus would likely thrive. 

On top of that, your hands are always holding onto the steering wheel. Everything contracted by hands will be transferred onto it. That is why the germs of a steering wheel are as numerous as those on a toilet seat. Always be conscious of all the areas that your hands frequently touch. Make sure that you disinfect them as frequently as possible.

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Rid Your Car Of Coronavirus – Know What You should Not Use

 

Bleach mixtures or hydrogen peroxide should never be used for the interiors of cars because they can damage the vinyl and plastics. 

The same thing goes for ammonia-based cleaning products. When under heat and light, the vinyl can break down and become sticky.

Lastly, do not scrub too hard or else you might end up scrubbing even the surface coatings.

 

 Automotive Service and Repair of Murrieta Can Help Rid Your Car of Coronavirus

To rid your car of coronavirus, you need to know what it is, how it spreads, and what possible measures you can take to keep your vehicle virus-free. That is part of your responsibility as a car owner. 

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Ask the experts at Automotive Service and Repair of Murrieta for help in car maintenance and disinfection related to COVID-19. Our knowledgeable staff know the do’s and don’ts in cleaning up your vehicle. 

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Keeping your main mode of transportation clean, safe and healthy isn’t something you should ignore in the current circumstances (or ever, if we’re honest). The skilled mechanics at American Auto Care/ASR are here and ready to help you. Simply call us at (951) 461-2507 today.