The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has affected 237,600 people globally as of March 20, and while there is plenty of information on general hygiene, many people are looking for specific guidelines on how to sanitize their used car in Dubai! And if your routine involves you being behind the wheel a lot, you may be wondering how to best protect yourself from the coronavirus pandemic. CarSwitch has prepared this guide to help you understand how coronavirus is transmitted and what steps you can take to sanitize your car.
How COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is Transmitted
According to the World Health Organisation, the virus spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when someone who is sick coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouth or nose of the people nearby and possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Most person to person spread happens when people are in close contact. It’s also possible that this virus can spread when someone touches a contaminated surface and then touches their mouth, nose or eyes.
How the Coronavirus Can Spread in Your Used Car in Dubai
While experts are still trying to determine the exact number of days the coronavirus can survive on surfaces, early studies suggest that the virus can survive for up to 3 hours in the air and for 2 to 3 days on hard surfaces such as plastics and metals. The virus can spread while sharing closed air space with a sick person or touching contaminated surfaces.
What You Need to Sanitise Your Car
Cleaning is the first and necessary step for disinfecting your car. A mixture of basic, good old soap or a liquid handwash and water helps to degrade the virus. Cleaning the car surfaces also helps to remove any visible dust, germs, bacteria and soil and makes the disinfection process even more effective.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. For disinfection, registered household disinfectants will work. Check out this list of approved efficient cleaners but make sure to read the label thoroughly before using it on different surfaces.
Leather interiors and organic trim materials can dry out easily especially with alcohol-based cleaners. Unlike our skin, these surfaces can’t re-moisturise, so for your soft, leather interior bits, using make-up remover wipes or mild detergents that have moisturizing abilities might be a good solution. However, if you don’t have mild detergents with softening properties available, you can replenish your leather with leather conditioners.
We also recommend using gloves while disinfecting the car and keeping disinfectant wipes or spray in the car as an added, preventative measure.
Key Car Surfaces to Disinfect
Your used car in Dubai can be a breeding ground for many germs and there are some common touchpoints that you should focus on cleaning. Besides the obvious places such as the steering wheel, console, seats, door and handles, the most important part to keep clean is the dashboard. In terms of the total number of germs, the dashboard can be the worst.
Other surfaces to clean are car switches, buttons, touchscreens, seatbelts and gear shifters. But how often should you disinfect these surfaces? According to the CDC, you should clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.
While coronavirus persists, keeping your home and car surfaces clean is as crucial as washing your hands. Good hygiene and daily disinfection remains the best defence against coronavirus. We also urge our readers to double up on their hygiene, limit outdoor activities, and stay home when sick.
If you want to purchase a pre-inspected, certified and well-maintained used car in Dubai, check out CarSwitch.com. We have a wide variety of cars you can choose from and our new, exciting features make the process easier and more hassle-free!
