ELECTRIC INSURANCE
The No-Damage Way to Clean & Disinfect Your Vehicle
Keeping your car’s interior clean is a good idea in general – and now’s a good time to take it up a notch. The next time you clean your vehicle, take the additional step of disinfecting it. It’s a good way to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and keep you and your family safer.
Clean, Then Disinfect
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cleaning and disinfecting aren’t the same thing. Cleaning done with soap or detergent and water will remove surface dirt and physically remove germs but won’t kill them. The best approach is to clean all the surfaces in your vehicle, then apply a disinfectant.
What to Use
Step 1: Clean. Fortunately, a lot of the same cleaners that are effective for use in your home will also work in your vehicle. Plain old soap or detergent and water both clean surfaces and kill the coronavirus if the friction you use while scrubbing breaks the virus’s outer protective layer. Since it’s not 100% effective, you’ll need to take a second step.
Step 2: Disinfect. Use an EPA-approved disinfectant to kill the germs. This handy infographic from the Environmental Protection Agency shows six steps for safe use of disinfectants. Make sure the disinfectant stays on the surface (it should be visibly wet) for the amount of time recommended on the label. It’s a good idea to do a small patch test on different surfaces inside your vehicle to make sure the disinfectant won’t strip color or damage texture.
What Not to Use
- Antibacterial soap works on bacteria – not viruses. Using it in your vehicle won’t kill COVID-19. Some cleaning chemicals can kill the coronavirus, but they’ll also damage your car.
- Don’t use bleach or hydrogen peroxide – they are likely to damage your upholstery, headliner, and rugs.
- Avoid cleaners with ammonia (including many glass cleaners) on touch screens. Ammonia will damage the coating that protects against fingerprints and reflective glare.
Getting Started
- Wear gloves and a mask (for protection against both the virus and the cleaner’s chemical fumes).
- Keep your vehicle’s doors and windows open to provide ventilation while you are cleaning.
- Vacuum first, including the upholstery.
Tackle the Hard Surfaces
Use a surface-appropriate household cleaner, a cleaning product meant for cars, or simple soapy water to remove the dirt and grime from hard surfaces. Make sure to thoroughly clean and then disinfect the areas that are most likely to be touched. These include:
- Armrests
- Buttons
- Center console
- Cupholders
- Dashboard
- Door handles (interior and exterior)
- Grab bars
- Interior door panels
- Light and turn signal stalks
- Rearview mirror
- Seat adjuster
- Seat belt buckles
- Shifter
- Steering wheel and steering wheel column
- Switches
- Touch screens
- Visors
- Windshield and window glass
- Wiper handle
On to the Upholstery and Textiles
Textiles. Use water with a mild detergent or soap on your rugs, seats, headliner, and seat belts. Make sure to wring the excess water out of your sponge, cleaning cloth, or brush first. You don’t want water to soak in and create mildew or mold. Use more suds than water when you scrub.
Leather. Mild body soap can be very effective at cleaning leather without causing damage. Don’t over-scrub, though – suds changing color may mean that you’re removing the dye. Make sure to follow up with a good leather cleaner and conditioner.
New Habits
Make a habit of keeping your vehicle as clean and as free of pathogens as possible. It will not only look better, but you’ll also preserve the life of your interior surfaces and help keep a COVID-19 infection out of your life.
Contact Us
Our Risk Coaches™ are licensed insurance professionals who are trained to look at coverage from your perspective. They’re glad to help you navigate the often-perplexing world of insurance coverage. Contact your local Risk Coach professional or call us at 800.342.5342, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
