Tag: hydrogen peroxide

COVID-19 is the new pandemic that everybody is talking about. We hear experts suggest that we wash our hands regularly. They also suggest cleaning disinfect houses. Furthermore, the CDC recommends paying special attention to high touch surfaces around us. Hence, people are doing so in their homes. But, people forget about the one thing that is also a high touch surface, our vehicles that can be the source of transmission of the virus.

Vehicles may be the only means of transport for many people. They are still using these to get essential items or to go to their offices. According to a research study, only a small percentage of Americans clean their cars once a year. Another surprising fact is that 12% of the Americans have never cleaned the inside of their vehicles.

HIGH TOUCH SURFACES IN YOUR CAR

High Touch Surfaces are not only present in your home. These are also present on the inside of your car. Sit down in your car and pay attention to its detail. Look around the interior and find out the places that you often touch. Examples of high touch surfaces inside your vehicle include:

•  Steering Wheel
•  Door Handles
•  Shift and Gear Lever
•  Buttons
•  Touch Screens
•  Wipers
•  Indicator signals
•  Armrests
•  Grab handles
•  Levers to adjust seats

You must disinfect all these areas to stop the spread of infection.

SPECIAL POINTS TO CONSIDER

Cleaning the interior of your car is a challenging job. You need to be careful not to ruin any of the material. It is suggested to avoid using harsh chemicals that can damage the interior of the vehicles. Examples of such disinfectants include bleach or hydrogen peroxide. It is better to use a 70% alcohol solution to clean the interiors. Soap and water can also be used to clean the interiors as well. When cleaning electronics, it’s better to read the safety manual before disinfecting.

PERSONAL PROTECTION IS IMPORTANT

Make sure that you wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting your vehicles. Disinfectants are harsh chemicals. Therefore, it is essential that you properly ventilate the car. You can open the windows and doors for this purpose. After cleaning and disinfection, remove the gloves and discard them immediately. Wash your hands properly. Make sure that you do not touch your eyes, mouth, or nose with dirty hands.

STEPS TO DISINFECT YOUR VEHICLE

Hard non-porous surfaces include:

•  Armrests
•  Hard seats
•  Door handles
•  Seat belt buckles
•  Grab handles

The soft porous surface includes seats and any other fabric present inside your vehicle. Soap and water should be used to clean both types of surfaces. Then disinfect the surface with a disinfectant that you have.

In the case of electronic surfaces, remove the dirt with the help of a dry cloth. If the manual states, then you can use alcohol wipes for disinfection as well.

CONCLUSION

If you are using your vehicle to commute, then make a schedule for cleaning the interior of the vehicles. If you are sharing cars, always make sure that you have hand sanitizers inside. It will allow everyone to disinfect his or her hands properly. Moreover, you will not have to worry about the frequent disinfection of your car.