How To Clean Your Vehicle For Coronavirus
At Jenkins Hyundai of Jacksonville, we fully understand the concerns our customers have about exposure to COVID-19, or coronavirus. Many people in Jacksonville are doing their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing gloves and using hand sanitizer. But it's easy to overlook that when you run errands and pick up items like groceries, those objects are now touching your vehicle's interior before you sanitize them. According to the , studies suggest that the coronavirus may live on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. That means that you should be sanitizing the interior of your car to kill any germs it may have collected on your last visit to the grocery store or pharmacy.
01How Long Does Coronavirus Survive on Surfaces?
Your Hyundai interior has a variety of surfaces, so you may need a few different options if you're cleaning leather, plastic and other materials. According to the National Institutes of Health, the virus that causes COVID-19 is stable for up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic or stainless steel. Another study suggests that similar viruses can live on "inanimate surfaces like metal, glass or plastic for up to nine days."
02What's the Best Way to Sanitize My Car's Interior?
Before you begin, it's a good idea to wash your hands and put on disposable gloves if you have any available. Most common EPA-registered household disinfectants will work well for sanitizing your vehicle. Just be sure to read the product's label to make sure it's safe for the surface you're planning to use it on. If you can keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in your vehicle, you'll be able to disinfect surfaces more frequently.
03How to Disinfect Surfaces in My Car?
The most important areas of your Hyundai to keep clean are the dashboard and the steering wheel. Bacteria tends to collect in these spots, as air is cycled throughout the vehicle. To clean your dash, simply use soap and water. Dish soap can work well for most areas, but for your steering wheel and dash, make sure you use a disinfecting product. Be sure to also focus on high-touch areas within your vehicle. These surfaces can include:
- Door Handles
- Door Buttons
- Key Fob
- Steering Wheel
- Inside Door Buttons
- Seat Belts
- Gear Shifters
- Touchscreens
- Buttons on the Dash
- Buttons for Lights
- Buttons for Windshield Wipers
- Glove Compartment
04Do I Need to Disinfect My Car's Exterior?
Thanks to the sun and other environmental factors, germs are less likely to live on the outside of your vehicle. It's still smart to disinfect areas you touch frequently, though, such as the door handles, gas cap and other areas. Â
05Are There Disinfectants I Should Avoid Using in My Car?
If you want to avoid damaging your Hyundai interior, don't use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to disinfect. These can damage the vinyl and plastics in your cabin. You should also avoid any ammonia-based cleaning products used to clean glass, as they can break down the vinyl on the dashboard. Heat and light may then cause your dashboard to become sticky.
06How to Clean Leather Seats in My Car?
If you want to clean your leather interior, make sure you spot test whatever cleaner you select to ensure it reacts well with your specific seats. Avoid scratching the leather by using a microfiber cloth, and apply a leather conditioner after cleaning if you're able to do so. If you don't have any leather cleaner on hand, you can make your own by mixing two parts vinegar with one part water.
