This spring we are more conscious than ever of the need to clean our vehicles, and to sanitize interior surfaces.
Upon returning from a trip to the store or to your (essential service) work-place, you wash your hands, right? But, don’t forget about your vehicle.
While we vacuum the cookie crumbs, wipe down the interior dust and sticky ice cream finger prints, a wet cloth or even car-cleaner, detergent does not sanitize the interior, high-touch surfaces.
Besides the obvious steering wheel, shifter, lights, signal levers, and passenger windows, there’s nooks and crannies that you or your passengers will touch such as door and window levers and media switches, seat levers, seatbelts, and the glove box.
Wipe them down, preferably with alcohol-based disinfectant.
In between carwashes, exterior door and trunk handles also need to be cleaned.
Microfibre picks up dust and dirt but for disinfecting hard-surfaces:
- Use 70% isopropyl or
- 99% rubbing alcohol/water dilution at 70/30 ratio
- Use a spray bottle for the disinfectant
- For fabrics, a tiny amount of fabric or dish detergent with gentle bushing or microfibre cloth can clean this, but it doesn’t disinfect.
Deep cleaning fabric
A steam cleaner is a great solution for fabric interiors and even for the carpets. Steam can be used on most surfaces. Steam eliminates the need to use harmful chemicals and penetrates deeply into fabric upholstery.
General cleaning
For touchscreens - screen cleaner is best.
Car leather or vinyl may have been coated with urethane from the factory, so avoid harsh chemicals there. If that surface is damaged or roughened you don’t gain anything in terms of cleanliness, but leave it susceptible to holding dirt.
You may need to use a leather cleaner, and even though it is not actual sanitization, just as we’re told about handwashing (soap and warm water) you will be helping to remove dirt with pathogens, and your car will look and smell fabulous.
With files from Consumers’ Report
