Tips for Cleaning Your Vehicle

It’s no secret that tough times are upon us, and just about everybody and every industry are being affected by COVID-19 at this time. While many people are currently self-isolating and working from home, there are other steps that can be taken in order to prevent the spread of the virus. One tip Mungenast St. Louis Honda recommends at this time is to CLEAN everything including your vehicle. According to the CDC, Coronavirus can live on a solid surface for up to four days, and some medical experts even suggest the virus can live up to nine days on a solid surface. With that being said, here are some tips for cleaning your vehicle so that it is in tip-top shape for when you can finally leave your house again.

• Clean that steering wheel OFTEN! While many people spend a lot of time in their cars commuting, their steering wheels rarely get a good scrubbing. Try to keep disinfectant wipes in your vehicle so you can wipe the steering wheel down before and/or after using it. This also includes every other surface in your vehicle. Spend extra time on the surfaces used more frequently, but don’t forget to disinfect everything else. Also keep hand sanitizer on hand to use before getting into your vehicle to avoid dirtying it altogether.
• Use safe and effective cleaners on your vehicle interior. Alcohol solutions that contain at least 70 percent alcohol are effective against coronavirus, according to the CDC. Isopropyl alcohol can be used on almost every interior surface of a vehicle, and most products have even been tested to ensure they don’t degrade materials when exposed to it.
• DON’T use bleach or hydrogen peroxide on the inside of your vehicle. While they can both kill coronavirus, it’s more than likely that they will damage materials on the inside. Also avoid any ammonia-based products because they break down the vinyl on the dashboard and can damage the anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings on car touch screens.
• Soap and water work too. With soap and water, vigorous scrubbing is recommended since “Coronaviruses are surrounded by a protective envelope that helps them to infect other cells, and destroying that envelope can effectively disarm them” according to Consumer Reports. The friction from cleaning also helps in the destruction of these protective envelopes. However, remember not to scrub too hard as it can damage the surface coatings or dyes.
• Use microfiber cloths to avoid damaging surfaces. The fabric “consists of tiny little loops that capture and sweep away dirt and dust particles before they can scratch delicate or shiny plastic surfaces” according to Consumer Reports.

Finally, WASH YOUR HANDS. After disinfecting your whole vehicle, if your hands are dirty, you risk putting germs right back in there. This is a scary time for everyone, and it’s extremely important for everyone to do their part in helping end the spread of this virus. From the Mungenast St. Louis Honda Family to yours, the safety of you and your family is of extreme importance to us.