How to protect your car from coronavirus

Expert shares tips on how to conduct effective disinfection of the car interior without damaging it with cleaning agents, thus protecting the vehicle from coronavirus.

If you spend a lot of time in the car, you’re probably interested in how to protect yourself from the coronavirus, which can survive on some surfaces for several days.

When it comes to disinfecting the interior, owners face the challenge that plastic and chrome can deteriorate due to interaction with various substances. Good news: protecting the car interior from viruses is quite simple and without corrosive agents. This is stated by an expert from an international household chemical company who wished to remain anonymous: her advice is essentially a departure from the employer’s product.

The old and proven method – soap

The expert named soap as the main weapon against viruses, which easily destroys the virus without consequences for the interior.

Contrary to common opinion, hand sanitizers and alcohol-based products are much less effective in disinfection than soap. It is also advisable to avoid any cleaning products marked as lacking detergents – they are useless.

Makeup removal wipes are also great for disinfection: skincare products usually contain moisturizers that are good for leather seats or steering wheel covers. By the way, alcohol-based cleaners dry out leather upholstery and are highly undesirable.

Another effective tool is leather conditioners. They contain surfactants that kill microbes. Moreover, they reduce the surface tension of water, helping it penetrate deeper and wash viruses out of hard-to-reach microcracks.

Regardless of the product you choose, don’t forget to wipe surfaces after treatment. Cleaning agents should not be left on interior materials.

Do not use products containing solvents!

“It is advisable to avoid the use of any solvents (alcohol, acetone, kerosene, etc.), not only because they can damage expensive internal parts but also because they do not actually affect viruses,” admitted the specialist.

It is also advisable to avoid aerosol disinfectants that, when not sprayed over the entire surface, nullify all efforts to treat the interior.

So let’s sum it up:

• Soap is our best friend.
• Avoid bleach.
• Do not use solvents.
• Hand sanitizers are not very effective and can dry out the skin.
• Use leather conditioner for leather interiors.
• Wipe surfaces after treatment.
• Prioritize surfaces you touch frequently, including buttons, switches, rearview mirror, and even the fuel tank cap.
• The simpler the interior, the easier it is to clean.

If you happen to damage your car interior, you can find individual parts on mynextparts.com. Also, check out our other helpful articles as well.