TIPS ON HOW TO DISINFECT YOUR CAR IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

MIND THE FABRICS

Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has become a global pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized to observe proper sanitation, good personal hygiene and social distancing. The virus can be contracted through droplets from an infected person, acquired through physical contact or by touching surfaces with the virus.

Focusing on personal hygiene is not enough. People also need to disinfect their properties, especially cars which are most of the time exposed to outside contaminants. Here are some tips on how to disinfect them.

USE THE RIGHT TOOLS

Consider the surfaces inside your car like metal, rubber, leather and plastic. There are tools that are harsh for leather such as strong disinfectants. Milder solutions such as soapy water can still be helpful to disinfect your car. Strong solutions can be used for metal and plastic surfaces. You may also use disinfectant wipes. Don’t forget to wear gloves.

IDENTIFY TOUCHPOINTS

Identify places with the most contact such as the door handle, key fob, steering wheel, dashboard, infotainment touch screen, buttons, shifter knob, power window, mirror, locking buttons and seatbelts.

Don’t overlook the soft surfaces such as carpet, seats and headliners. Don’t forget the back of your seat. You may use leather cleaner or upholstery shampoo to sanitize these surfaces. Make sure to use bleach-free cleaner or disinfectants to not destroy the material of your fabrics.

INCLUDE THE EXTERIOR

Though it was believed that coronavirus will not last long on a hot surface, specifically outside of your car, this should not be overlooked. For assurance, the exterior should be washed as well, particularly the door handle, gas pump handles and other outside touchpoints.

THINK OF THE PASSENGERS

What could a passenger touch inside the car particularly, the children? If a passenger sneezes or coughs, where could the droplets go? If there are toys inside the car, these should also be disinfected. For soft stuffed toys, these should be washed regularly. Hard plastic toys can be dunked in diluted bleach.

PREVENT REINFECTION

After the long process of cleaning and disinfecting a car, it can be a little frustrating to undergo this every single time. So to prevent reinfection, passengers should disinfect their hands with a 70 percent solution of alcohol upon entering. In case someone sneezes or coughs, prepare tissue paper. Use disinfectant wipes and wipe the surfaces with most contact every so often.