HomeLifestyleA Basic Guide to Disinfect Your Car Cabin From Inside Out

A Basic Guide to Disinfect Your Car Cabin From Inside Out

If you have been paying attention to the news, COVID-19 cases in Malaysia are on the rise again. As we get too comfortable with going back to our pre-COVID lifestyle, many of us have forgotten that the pandemic isn’t over yet. 

With that in mind, it is always better to be safe than sorry given the numbers are going up again. To keep yourself and your family safe from the rising COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, here’s how to properly disinfect your car at home. 

Read more: Safety Tips For E-Hailing Riders and Passengers During COVID Season

Tools to Prepare Before You Start

Before you start, here are some tools that you’ll need for the job: 

Disposable Gloves

COVID-19 new cases, disinfecting car. Disposable gloves go a long way for the sanitization process and if possible, get medical-grade disposable ones for extra precaution. 

While you can still use your bare hands throughout the cleaning process, there is a risk of contamination when you touch other areas such as your clothes, face, and other objects unless cleaned with soap. 

A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that COVID-19 can live up to four hours on copper, up to a day on cardboard, and up to three days on plastic and stainless steel. Thus, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Wet Wipes

COVID-19 new cases, disinfecting car. Wet wipes contain sodium hypochlorite, or in layman’s terms, the same chemical compound found in bleach. They are highly effective in disinfecting areas. Alternatively, baby wet wipes work the same too. 

We also recommend other disinfectant products that contain benzalkonium chloride. This is also another active ingredient for disinfection and is known to be gentler than bleach.

These can be bought at any supermarket or pharmacy. Use these wet wipes and clean any surface area that is frequently touched such as the steering wheel, seats, dashboard, and door handles to prevent COVID-19 cases from rising in Malaysia. 

Multi-surface cleaners

COVID-19 new cases, disinfecting car. Disinfectant sprays or surface cleaners that contain benzalkonium/ benzalkonium chloride like the above as well. A couple of sprays on the surface with a wipe-down is effective and can be used for areas at hard-to-reach corners.

Alternatively, you can opt for alcohol-based cleaners as it’s gentle to the touch and won’t ruin any leather upholstery of the car. 

Deodorizing sprays

COVID-19 new cases, disinfecting car. These sanitizing sprays that contain Triethylene glycol are known to kill airborne viruses. We recommend spraying it in an unoccupied car with the air conditioning switched on or directly on the vents.

This is to make sure the deodorizing spray coats the surface of your car’s cabin well. 

Soap

COVID-19 new cases, disinfecting car. Good ol’ soap. If you can’t get anything antibacterial, using regular bathing soap is just as effective, if not better. Soap breaks up oil, and it also interacts with viruses in the same way. 

Using any type of soap would do the trick. Furthermore, it is less likely to degrade the delicate surfaces in your car like fabrics and leather

Bonus: Avoid Using These Products

COVID-19 new cases, disinfecting car. It’s imperative to note that not every cleaning and disinfectant chemical can be used inside a car interior. 

When buying cleaning products for your car, avoid using bleach or strong, abrasive cleaners on leather. Only use these chemicals on any plastic and metal surfaces. 

In light of the increasing COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, we urge everyone to get your booster shots, practice good hygiene, mask up, wash your hands, sanitize, and ensure that you follow social distancing.

Read More: Protective measures against Covid-19

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