By Aston Cade
With a pandemic still raging on, everyone is on high alert and is constantly disinfecting their possessions. Especially during the holiday season, we have to be more careful. From cellphones to shoes, to our hands and houses, disinfecting and cleaning is necessary to make sure that we can defend our family against a deadly virus.
At this point, proper handwashing techniques are now commonly known, but what about your car?
We tend to overlook disinfecting our cars because it’s something that’s inherently part of our everyday life. We use our car to leave our homes, and use it to go back. It has material that’s prone to keeping the viruses, that’s why it’s necessary to include it in our disinfecting routine. While an auto mechanic can keep your car’s engine in good condition, you’re the one responsible for keeping the inside safe and virus free. Here are a few tips to help you ensure that it’s well disinfected and safe.
Cleaning the Dashboard
The dashboard is where we normally put our daily carries, such as phones, small bags, and wallets. As such, it can be a breeding ground for inconspicuous viruses. One of the best ways to clean your dashboard is to simply use soap and water. Since some dashboards come with leather upholstery, you can simply dampen the surface with soapy water and wipe it with a soft cloth to avoid damaging it. Cleaning the buttons can be difficult, however, as water can damage the circuitry inside. You can use alcohol wipes to clean them and make sure that the alcohol you use is among the ones that can remove bacteria.
Clean the Flooring
Our shoes can get very dirty easily as it’s the one part that always comes in contact with the ground. We’re normally unaware of where we step and we inevitably bring dirt and dust inside our car through our shoes. You can vacuum the inside of your car to remove any dirt and dust and clean it with alcohol. If you have time, you can remove it and clean it with a brush and a recognized cleaning solution.
Steering Wheel, Handles, Seat Belts
These are the parts of the car we often come in contact with, and they are also among the ones the need the most attention. However, as these parts often vary in make, it’s important to clean them without damaging the material. If your steering wheel has a leather cover, clean it with leather safe cleaning agents. For the other parts of your car, you can use a sanitizing wipe to quickly and efficiently clean them. Store a box of sanitizing wipes in your dashboard to make sure that you can always sanitize them after use.
Air Vents
Your air vent circulates the air when you’re driving down the road, making you prone to whatever floats in the air outside. You can use compressed air to clean the dust that is stuck in the nooks and crannies of your vent, and then follow it by wiping the vents with disinfectant and soft, microfiber cloth. If possible, put your car vents in non-recirculation mode to avoid the spread of disease.
Clean the Seats
Car upholstery varies greatly, and knowing what they’re made of will be highly useful in making sure you clean them properly. Find out what exactly your seat covers are, and follow the safety procedures in cleaning them. However, when you need to quickly clean them, soapy water can be used to effectively clean them. Avoid using bleach, alcohol-based chemicals, or other strong kinds of cleaning agents as they can end up permanently damaging your upholstery.
We use our cars all the time, and we are highly unaware that we’re bringing dangerous viruses inside it. The above are only some of the ways to keep the car interiors clean.
