Cars are essential for many people’s livelihoods, and it could even be their business, so for a large portion of the population, staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic is not a viable option. Currently, the government’s advice is to stay home if you think you’re at risk. So, it’s understandable if you’re feeling anxious about leaving your home. We all know washing our hands is vital, but how can you keep your car’s interior clean and safe?

Here are some tips for keeping your car’s interior COVID-19 free.

#1 Vacuum

Make sure you vacuum the interior of your car to get rid of excess dirt and dust. You should also dust the dashboard and all hard-surfaces with a microfiber cloth.

These cloths are very useful to sweep first away from the surface instead of rubbing it as a paper towel would.

When you’re done cleaning with the microfiber cloth, make sure you throw it in the washing machine in case it picked up anything more damaging than dust.

#2 Wipe All Touch Screens

When you’re cleaning your touch screen, make sure you turn it off first, if you don’t you could damage the display pixels. Here’s what you need to do: dip a microfiber cloth in a 50/50 mix of vinegar and distilled water and gently wipe. Make sure you don’t press down or your screen will be damaged.

It’s important to not use ammonia-based cleaners on touch screens, like a window cleaner. They will only damage the anti-fingerprint and anti-glare coatings.

#3 Clean Upholstery

We recommend washing all upholstery with soap and water. If your upholstery is fabric, make sure you use a lot of water, otherwise, the soap will stay in the fabric and it can turn into mold later on.

Clean your upholstery with a small amount of soap and clean it with a damp cloth. You can also use a small amount of water mixed with laundry detergent.

If you have leather upholstery, it’s safer to use a leather cleaner. You can also use alcohol but not all the time since it will make the leather susceptible to damage.

#4 Clean Your Dashboard

For your dashboard, you should use isopropyl alcohol. It is actually used by car manufacturers to clean the car interior before they ship the cars to their respective dealerships. Wiping it with alcohol will get rid of germs as well as fingerprints.

If you don’t have alcohol, you should use soap and water. It works just as well. However, do not ever use bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or any ammonia-based products. They will break down the vinyl on your dashboard and it will get sticky when it’s exposed to heat.

Make sure you clean your steering wheel and buttons thoroughly.

#5 Wipe Down Your Steering Wheel

It is important to take extra time to clean your steering wheel. Since its the most touched surface in your car’s interior, it has four times more germs than the average toilet seat. It’s very easy for germs to hide in the small cracks and crevices.

Using disinfecting wipes works as well as alcohol. Just wipe down the steering wheel, buttons, and all surfaces very thoroughly.

#6 Wash Your Hands – The #1 Rule In The Covid-19 Pandemic

All that cleaning can only go so far if you don’t wash your hands. Washing your hands is the best way you can protect yourself and others. The more you do it, the fewer germs you’ll transfer in and out of your car.

At Sudden Impact Auto We Care About You

If you’re worried about how COVID-19 may affect your auto body repair experience, or curious about the steps we are taking as a business to avoid spreading the virus further, give us a call at 702-457-3002.

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