How To Clean & Disinfect Car From COVID-19

[Dr MUDHAN]

How do you sanitize a car?

Periodical disinfection procedure has become a part of car maintenance during our pandemic life.
I avoid Dealer's after sales service disinfecting procedures for my car as I am not comfortable with the way they do.
I have noted there, only some simple wiping of car interiors, gear knob, steering wheel and upholstery by using some Perfumed Sanitary Liquid or Hand wash or even household LYSOL diluted in soap water.
I would rather prefer to do it myself at home as it works out Cheaper, Better and Effective.

The steps that are followed:

• The procedure will be effective only when the surfaces are free of dirt and grime. Vacuum clean the cabin and dust-off surfaces including the dashboard, door pads, the seats, mirrors and clean the grime from every nook and cranny.
• Dampen a MF cloth with mild soap water (diluted dish wash or car shampoo without wax), clean the areas (except electronic knobs & LCD screens) like the dashboard, steering wheel, gear knob, seat belt, door handles and then wipe off with a dry MF cloth.
• Always use alcohol-based sprays containing at least 60% alcohol like IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) or some special disinfectant sprays from reputed manufactures. What I do, I spray any one of these two products* inside the car & upholstery, and kept open all the doors few minutes before the Mosquitos visiting time.
• Spray again completely by holding 15-20 cm from pre cleaned surface , close the doors overnight.
• One container Spray of SAVLON / DETTOL* comes easily for 2 to 3 times @ the cost of Rs.130 to 150 per container.
• DONE !

Points to note:

• Do not use household disinfectants on a vehicle like floor cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, paint thinners or other harsh and abrasive cleaners. These chemical can damage vehicle's upholstery and interior surfaces.
• Alcohol or Soap solutions should be avoided directly on leather upholstery as they can lead to discoloration. Use only recommended conditioners. In case of Fabric upholstery too much soap water can stain the fabric, also seep into the cushioning to make matters worse. ; use a small quantity to dampen a MF cloth for wiping down the seats.
• For the infotainment LCD screen, avoid water & Ammonia-based cleaners like Colin. Use always a dedicated soft microfiber cloth.
• Avoid HVAC system of harboring bacteria and fungi as this will lead to a bad internal odor. Switching off the car AC few minutes before halt will avoid moisture inside the tubes/ channels and prevent it. Periodical cleaning of Cabin air filter, opening up the fresh internal air mode for few minutes periodically in a dust free environment also helps.
• Don't ask me whether it would be 100% effective. It's definitely better than what they do at Service. But, please note, no one procedure is 100 % effective that you would have noticed as ‘ Kills germs up to 99.9%’ carefully indicated by Advertisers.

Germs like Virus continue to transform to withstand against any adverse effects of Biocides / Chemicals innovated by humans. It's a BIOWAR that always exists.

These SAVLON Surface Disinfectant Spray Sanitizer & DETTOL Disinfectant Sanitizer Spray are cheaper in Amazon.in, where from I buy regularly for sanitizing my Car and Home.

OTHER USES OF SAVLON FOR ME.
( It works for me. But if you want to do, always try a test spot and then proceed. Please don't use on clear acrylic glasses like headlights.)
1. A Spray on MF cloth & Wipe on the spot that makes it easy to stick firmly the double side tape on any area that includes car plastic surfaces, as a substitute to IPA.
2. Cleans well the dried Solar Panels surface of my miniature garden lights.
3. Rust & Dust on contact points of PCBs and plugs are cleared if I spray and leave few minutes to dry. Of course, safety measures while doing so should never be missed like, switching off the power supply & waiting for it to get dried completely.

Take Care

Life has no spare - Drive Safe & Stay Safe