Get to grips with the proper way to disinfect your ride to provide a safe haven for you, your family, and your fare.
The buzzword these days is ‘virus-free’.
No thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, people all around the world have been forced to adopt practices that can protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus. As drivers, we, too, can make the extra effort to keep our driving environment clean and safe.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 virus can survive on plastic surfaces for up to 72 hours. Seeing that our car’s interior is predominantly made of plastic, it makes sense to ensure such surfaces are kept clean and disinfected.
Vacuum And Clean Regularly
Focus first on the basics of keeping your car clean. As dust particles are easily attracted to your car through footwear and things we bring into the car, make sure to vacuum the interior and the boot as well. If you tend to transport things around on a regular basis — perhaps you work as a courier or a delivery driver — make sure to vacuum regularly. One thing to note is that cleaning solutions may not disinfect and disinfectants don’t clean. Cleaning solutions will remove bacteria and germs, but it doesn’t kill germs. This is where the disinfectant comes in: it kills, in some cases, up to 99.9% of germs. So make it a habit to clean first, then disinfect.
Clean And Disinfect High-Touch Surfaces
Wipe down with recommended cleaners, then disinfect on obvious interior areas with which you come into constant contact. If you have passengers, like in a taxi, it is vital to disinfect after each fare. You have a responsibility to make sure each fare comes into a safe and clean environment. In the driver’s area, pay close attention to areas such as the steering wheel, which can carry up to four times more germs than on the average toilet seat! Proceed to the door handles (both on the inside and outside), armrests, the control panels (all the buttons and switches), and the shift lever. If you are using a disinfectant spray, make sure that you completely cover the surface. However, don’t be overzealous — if the spray is alcohol-based, you may be overwhelmed by the smell in the confines of the cabin space. Do remember not to touch your face until you re-sanitise your hands.
Don’t Forget The Vents
In general, viruses can propagate through the air-conditioning system. Even though the system has filters, these are only good enough to prevent dust and dirt, but are useless against viruses, which are really tiny. Findings have shown that the coronavirus is able to survive in the air for a few hours, so the best filter you can get are HEPA filters. These are more effective in catching small virus particles than standard filters, though they are not exactly cheap. Do note that while filters help with air coming into the cabin, they cannot do much if the air within the cabin is contaminated. If you have a constant stream of passengers — perhaps you drive a taxi or private hire car — keep to the above pointers to clean and disinfect, and don’t forget to wear a mask as well.
Bactakleen For AA Members
Why not get your car treated by the pros when it comes to getting rid of bacteria? AA Members can experience the Bactakleen system at a special discounted rate of $38 (U.P. $68). Promotion ends on 31 August 2020. Call 65159282 to make an appointment now!
Initially developed to provide a non-toxic proprietary technology to clean the atmosphere in an air-conditioned environment, Bactakleen now offers other products and services.
For more information, check out AAShop now.
