Some of us are fastidious about the cleanliness of our car’s interiors and some of us are not. I must admit that my own car often gets a good cleaning on the outside, but a bit of rushed job on the interior. My approach has changed since the pandemic though. It has been known for a long time that a steering wheel of a car tends to be more germ ridden than a public toilet seat. So in the midst of a global pandemic I’ve been taking extra measures to ensure that I’m helping to reduce the spread of the virus by deep cleaning the car… regularly.
Before deep cleaning the car I’ve been wearing a face mask and gloves for some added personal protection. Here are some of the things that I’ve been doing to try to reduce bacteria and viruses in my own car.
The primary focus has been areas that are touched the most by the driver and passengers. So the steering wheel, gear stick, signalling levers, seatbelts, door handles, hand brake and stereo have had the most attention. For these I’ve used disinfectant sprays on a daily basis. On a weekly basis I’ve been wiping down the dashboard and cupholders with disinfectant and the touchscreens with a microfibre cloth. Air vents have also been tackled using a brush
I’ve replaced the original car mats with vehicle-specific rubber mats. These are far easier to wipe down and clean, which is simply achieved with hot soapy water. The same is true in the boot of the car and I’ve added a rubber boot liner for an easy clean solution in case groceries or other items that I’m carrying aren’t as clean as I think.
I’ve also added a pack of cleansing wipes to the car, for use when I’m out and about. I’ve also added a bottle of hand sanitiser for times when I can’t wash my hands with soap and water.
Lastly, it’s not just my car that has been benefiting from a deep clean. My car keys are now getting to have a daily clean too.
Controlling this virus may require a lot of changes in our lives. Deep cleaning the car is certainly one that I think will help and is actually quite therapeutic – why not give it a try?
