Coronavirus has officially become pandemic affecting a lot of people globally. In order to prevent it, a lot of precautionary measures are being taken lately. If your routine includes most of your time either behind the wheel or in the back seat of a cab, you may be wondering how best to protect yourself from the Coronavirus.
Here are a few essential steps that you need to follow to disinfect your car in the fight against the Coronavirus. But before we get into how to clean your car, let’s find out what coronavirus is and how is it transmitted?
What is Coronavirus?
Coronavirus is a virus that is commonly circulating among humans. It causes mild illnesses like the common cold and fever. The Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a new, previously unidentified, strain. The virus was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The first infection links to a live animal market. It spreads quickly from person to person. It is now spreading through the community. Containment recommendations include a quarantine in place and constantly clean surfaces for at least a 14-day period.
One needs to consult a doctor and get certain tests done in case he/she is suffering from fever, cold or cough. The medical test will ensure that you either pass the point of infection or are not affected by the virus.
How is Coronavirus transmitted?
According to WHO, Coronavirus can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth. The droplets can land on objects and surfaces around the person. If someone nearby touches these objects or surfaces then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth, the person is likely to be infected. The disease can also be spread if a person with COVID-19 coughs or sneezes and someone nearby breathes in the droplets.
Tips to keep your car a safe haven during Coronavirus
Disinfect the HVAC unit
The HVAC unit tends to carry a lot of infection and viruses as it circulates air in the cabin. In such a case, deep clean the system right down to the air filter. Remove and clean the cabin filter located behind the glove compartment, and spray it with a disinfectant before putting it back in. Get an ozone treatment done from a professional detailer. They will spray ozone molecules that attack and breaks down any kind of virus or bacteria in your car thus minimizing the infection.
Vacuum Regularly
Indian weather attracts and collects dust instead of reducing it. So it is advised that one should vacuum their car on a regular basis to minimize the infection. Fabric seats are more prone to attract bacteria, so deep clean the seats either by using soap and water or by getting it steam cleaned from a professional. Scrub the carpets, floor mats, pedals, and lever properly. Clean the center console, instrument cluster, and door locks on a regular basis.
Refueling
Keep your tank full to the top so as to avoid visiting the petrol pump on a regular basis. In case you make a visit to the petrol pump, try to make online phone payments if possible. Once you get back into your car, wipe your hands down with the disinfectant wipe.
Clean the high touch surfaces
Make sure to clean the high touch surfaces properly with a diluted solution. These include gear shift knob, handbrake lever, buttons, and switches. Apply the solution on a cloth and then clean the interiors so as to avoid any damage.
Clean toys and gadgets
If you are traveling with children then avoid keeping toys in the car. In case you do so, then clean the toys regularly. Stuff toys are easy to clean with detergent while hard plastics can be disinfected by adding some bleach and detergent in a bucket of water. Thoroughly clean the child seat inside the car before making your child sit. Apart from this, also wipe down smaller storage pockets, trays and seatbelt on a regular basis.
Store sanitizer, wet wipes, and mask
The best method to avoid any kind of infection is to use sanitizer and mask from time-to-time. Make a small Health kit comprising a hand sanitizer, wet wipes and a mask in the glovebox.