It’s important to keep your car clean, and even more so during these uncertain times. Steering wheels have been found to be up to four times dirtier than toilet seats, so you don’t even need to be speeding around to put your health in jeopardy behind the wheel.
Below are some car sanitation tips that will keep your car — and your health — looking like new.
Sanitize hard surfaces
The interior surfaces of your car should receive the same level of care as the outside body. Use Isopropyl (never bleach or Ammonia) to wipe down the dashboard, consoles and inlays. Use a soft, clean microfiber cloth and not paper towels.
Clean the cabin air filter
Dirt is not only present on the things that we touch. It’s also in the air that we breathe. Your cabin air filter cleans the air that travels from under the hood to inside the car, so you’ll want to clean or replace this filter regularly. Your vehicle also has another filter that filters the air that enters the engine, and it’s a good idea to perform maintenance on this one as well.
Vacuum and tidy
Vehicles accumulate cups, wrappers, crumbs and other junk on the floors, seats and cup holders. And when this residue sits in the hot sun, it can turn smelly and unsightly — not to mention full of bacteria. Make it a habit to periodically vacuum out your car and keep it free of any trash.
Clean leather surfaces
Use soap and water to wipe down leather seats, steering wheels, shift knobs, and any other leather surfaces. Avoid excess suds and scrub gently, and you’ll not only preserve the life of your leather but you’ll also wash away germs in the process.
Use wipes on high-touch surfaces
There are a number of surfaces on your car that are touched much more often than others. These include:
- Door handles (interior and exterior)
- Power window buttons or window cranks
- Radio buttons and dials
- Heating and air conditioning controls
- Steering wheel
- Gear shifter
- Turn signal and windshield wiper switches
- Seat belts and buckles
- Cup holders
- Grab handles
Keep some sanitizing wipes in your car, and give these areas periodic wipe downs, especially after you’ve had passengers in your car. In addition, be mindful to wipe down other surfaces that you use when driving such as:
- Keys and key fobs
- Gas pumps and keypads
- Gas cap and door
- Drive-through ATM keypads
Have a Professional Cleaning
One additional way to sanitize your car is to have it professionally cleaned and detailed. A professional detailing service can rid the interior of your car of many of the germs and bacteria lurking on surfaces.
If there are parts that need more than just a cleaning, consider having them replaced. Shop our extensive parts catalog to find any steering wheel, gear shifter, or other germ-magnet that may need replacing.
If you need help tracking down a replacement part, fill out our short inquiry page or just give us a call, and we’ll be more than happy to help.