4 Things You Can Do to Your Vehicle to Prevent the Transmission of Infectious Bacteria and Viruses
Most vehicle owners have let a bit of a mess accumulate inside their car or truck. Sometimes we just can’t be bothered with giving it the cleaning maintenance it clearly needs, and it’s not much of an issue most of the time, with some unpleasant smells usually being the worst thing that can happen.
However, it’s now become clear that we need to take cleaning our vehicles much more seriously to prevent the development and spread of bacteria and viruses. You may think it’s harmless to have a messy interior, but an unclean vehicle could provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, which can then be transmitted to other people.
Thankfully it’s relatively easy to keep on top of this! Here are 4 things that you can do to your vehicle to prevent the transmission of infectious bacteria and viruses in your vehicle:
1. Wash Your Hands Before and After Driving
You might be sick of hearing this but it’s still worth mentioning – wash your hands before and after using your vehicle. Use an anti-bacterial hand soap (or hand sanitizer) and thoroughly clean the fingers, palms, and under the nails, as this will help reduce the spread of bacteria to and from your vehicle.
Any time you don’t, you are risking the spread of bacteria and viruses to the handles, steering wheel, and other surfaces throughout the vehicle, so it’s time to be vigilant and start cleaning those hands before and after every journey. The same goes for any passengers!
2. Disinfect All Surfaces Inside the Cabin
Get some disinfectant wipes and use them across all the hard surfaces inside of the vehicle. Basically, anything you are likely to touch when using the vehicle should be cleaned using these wipes, as this will help to kill of bacteria and viruses and prevent their transmission.
Make sure to be thorough with the steering wheel for obvious reasons – it’s the most touched surface inside the car and may harbor bacteria longer than you expect. For instance, it’s estimated that a steering wheel has up to four times more bacteria than on a toilet seat!!
Don’t forget about the various knobs and dials on the electronic systems, shift sticks, indicator sticks, and any of the lesser used surfaces that can still have bacteria build ups. If it’s not upholstery, disinfect it!
3. Use Isopropyl Alcohol for Upholstery
Scrubbing upholstery too hard with disinfect wipes or sprays may damage the material, so you will want to use a different cleaning solution for these parts of the vehicle. Isopropyl alcohol that is a minimum 70% is suitable for killing bacteria on these softer surfaces without leaving any damage.
You won’t need to disinfect the entire upholstery, mainly high-touch spots like armrests, although it may not hurt to give all the surfaces a quick wipe down.
4. Use Soapy Water for Leather
While isopropyl alcohol is a great disinfectant for most surfaces, its strain removal qualities means it can damage real leather. If you have leather interior you should stick to a solution of soap and water, gently rubbing down the surfaces to remove bacteria.
We at Jan’s Towing strongly promote and encourage safe driving. We also know that sometimes things go wrong and you may need roadside assistance in the future. When you need help with your vehicle while on the road, Jan’s Towing offers fast & reliable towing and roadside assistance – everywhere in the San Gabriel Valley, such as Azusa, Glendora, Covina, West Covina, Arcadia, Irwindale, City of Industry, Rowland Heights, and beyond. In Inland Empire, we service the cities of Fontana, Rialto, Bloomington, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, and surrounding cities. We will respond immediately on a 24/7 basis, so give us a call right now at (626) 914-1841 if you are in need of towing or any roadside assistance!
