How to Sanitize Your Car to Stay Healthy

While there is a lot of information on general hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of people have been wondering how to sanitize their car. If you are someone who has to be behind the wheel a lot, you need to take some steps to keep yourself and your family safe. Just follow this guide by CarSwitch, an online marketplace to buy or sell any car in Dubai. 

How the Coronavirus can spread in your car

According to the World Health Organization, the virus transmits from one person to another through respiratory droplets that are produced by patients suffering from COVID-19. A person can become infected by close contact with the patient since the virus can infect through the nose, eyes, or mouth. It can also spread through touching a surface that has been contaminated by a COVID-19 patient. 

Early studies conducted on the nature of the virus show that the virus can remain active up to 3 hours in the air, while on surfaces such as wood, plastic, or metals, it can survive up to 3 days. This makes it all the more crucial to clean and disinfect your car on a daily basis. The person can become infected by touching contaminated surfaces or breathing close to a COVID-19 patient. 

How should you sanitize your car?

The first step is grabbing a disinfectant and a pair of gloves! You should start with basic cleaning. A good quality soap or a liquid sanitizer with enough alcohol content can help fight the virus. Thoroughly cleaning the surfaces of your car also ensures that any dust, germs, bacteria, or bits of soil come off and makes the disinfection more effective.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning and disinfecting the surfaces that are commonly touched daily. Standard household disinfectants will work well but make sure you read the label thoroughly before using the cleaner on different surfaces. You can also check out this list of approved effective disinfectants.

Leather interiors can wear out easily with alcohol-heavy cleaners. Unlike our skin, leather surfaces don’t have re-moisturizing abilities. So, for sensitive, leather bits, use mild detergents. However, if you don’t have mild detergents available, you can also use a good quality leather restorer or conditioner and apply it using a soft cloth or a sponge. A PH-neutral product is recommended.

As an extra preventative measure, we suggest having disinfectant wipes or sprays at hand in the car. Also, while doing the cleaning, remember to wear gloves and a mask.

What are the main car surfaces to disinfect?

Your used car in Dubai has the potential to serve as a breeding ground for viruses, germs, and bacteria. There are some surfaces that are regularly touched, so you should focus on thoroughly cleaning them first. Besides cleaning the main surfaces such as the steering wheel, door, handles, and center console, don’t forget the dashboard. In terms of total germ count, the dashboard is at the top! Other than these surfaces, you must also clean seatbelts, cars witches, buttons, gear shifters, and touchscreens.

While the COVID-19 pandemic persists, keeping your home and car surfaces clean is just as crucial as washing your hands. Good hygiene, social distancing, and daily disinfection is the best weapon against coronavirus. If you’re wondering what’s the best way to switch your car during the pandemic, then be sure to check out CarSwitch, which can help you buy or sell any car in UAE safely and without any hassles.