Keep your car COVID free

In these COVID-19 times, it’s important to be aware of all of the sources of infections that surround us. Your car is actually one of the most important ones and one that we often forget.

Today, it’s more important than ever to keep your car clean and prevent it from contributing to the virus spread, especially if there is more than one person sharing the car.

Scientists have found that the virus can live up to three days on surfaces like plastic and stainless steel. Because of this, it’s important to disinfect the surfaces in your car that you or others usually come in contact with.

And remember – wash your hands both before and after cleaning.

Throw out the garbage!

First and foremost – respect the basic rules of hygiene and keep the car clean inside and out, and free of garbage. This will give the virus less matter to settle in.

It’s also important to keep the air conditioner in mind. Recycled air can be infectious – pathogens are recycled with the air and sent back into the car, which makes it smart to turn off the air recycling at times but especially to have the air conditioning serviced. Also, the air conditioner filter should be changed at least once a year.

When you’re cleaning your car, you’ll have to remove all sorts of garbage and junk, especially used handkerchiefs and old leftovers, but also coffee mugs, boxes and bottles and parking tickets which give viruses and bacteria more room to frolic.

Use soap and water

If you’re not in one of the risk groups, it’s not normally necessary to use aggressive disinfectants, but you should still properly clean surfaces that are frequently touched with an isopropanol-containing detergent, according to U.S. Consumer Reports. Alcohol solutions with more than 70 percent of alcohol will kill the COVID-19 virus.

However, a proper cleaning session with soap and water is more than adequate in most cases, whether it’s hand soap or detergent. These cleaning agents also have the advantage of not being aggressive to the surface materials in the car.

If you’re concerned about protecting leather or plastic surfaces, special interior cleaning products have an advantage and will also kill the virus. Do not forget to wash the mirror and windows properly; this will provide a traffic safety bonus.

Choose Your Repair/Maintenance Automotive Shop wisely

Be careful to choose a repair/maintenance automotive shop which promotes adequate cleanliness. The waiting room and counter tops of the shop should be neat and clean. As a customer you should be able to get an assurance that the technician who works on your car is employing hygienic practices and properly cleaning surfaces in the vehicle with which they might come into contact. This should be evident when you pick up your vehicle.

The professionals at Don’s Pro Technology Automotive Repair are happy to help with any of your automotive needs.

Don’s Pro Technology Automotive Repair is located at 230 E. Tehachapi Blvd., Tehachapi, and can be reached at (661) 822-1600.