There are a lot of different things that we need to adjust to; from the way we would be traveling and commuting, to how we act when we’re in public places — to how we should be when we get home, everything needs to be done and managed accordingly.
Under the new normal, everything is changed. We all need to adjust to it in order for us, as well as the people around us to survive. For all car owners, cleaning your car under the new normal might not be as difficult as it sounds; however, things can actually get a little too complicated especially if you don’t make it a habit to thoroughly clean it.
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How regular should you clean your car?
Cleaning your car under the new normal would not have a different or a separate schedule versus the previous and the old normal we were working on. If you’re using your car almost everyday, it would just be imperative to clean it at least once or twice a week.
If you use it 3 to 4 times a week, once every two (2) weeks would be great. It depends; the thing is that, you need to be protected when you are looking to clean and wash your car. As per the recommendation of some experts, wait at least 48 to 72 hours of your last use before you clean your car.
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If you use it everyday, it’s best to wash it while the sun is at its peak; this is to avoid and decrease the viral particles that could be living on the surfaces of your car’s exterior. This way, you’ll end up safer and more secure.
Without further ado, here are the best ways of cleaning your car under the new normal.
Take the trash out
This might not be you, but there are people that do not care about the trash inside their cars. More often than not, car owners would have a small trash bin inside their vehicles. What they will do is that they’ll compile all trash so that when it’s time for them to clean their cars, it would go along with it.
Problem is, many car owners forget or even do not think about this. During the situation we are in now, it is imperative to take the trash out every single time you clean you car.
Vacuum and sweep the insides
Another thing that most owners skip doing is vacuuming and cleaning the inside of their car. They do a few sweeps here and there, but they do not thoroughly clean it. The right and the most appropriate way of cleaning the interior of the car is by vacuuming it thoroughly, including the edges and the small gaps between the doors and windows, and the like.
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Take the carpets and the car mats out, then proceed with the vacuuming and the sweeping. It’s also ideal to wash the carpets and the mats and to have it dried. While those aren’t inside the car, it is the perfect time to vacuum and to sweep the insides of it.
Disinfect the interior
Sweeping the interior of your car is not enough. As a matter of fact, part of the “new normal” when it comes to cleaning your car is by disinfecting it.
There are a lot of disinfectants available in the market; and there are many different ways on how you can disinfect. You can use a humidifier that spews disinfectant vapor, you can purchase a liquid disinfectant and wipe the surfaces, and the like.
A guide to disinfecting your car’s interior
A simple guide to disinfecting. Here are a few of the most important things you need to think about and consider when cleaning your car — when you are disinfecting it:
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- To wipe the dashboard, the door handles, as well as the windows, you can use a soft microfiber cloth that is wet with a disinfectant.
- Use it to wipe the seats, the seat belts, the steering wheel, and any other things, buttons, and parts touched inside a car.
- Should your car have some type of touchscreen on it, you can wipe it off too. However, just be wary not to use too much disinfectant because it can damage the hardware and can even cause cracks.
NOTE: When you clean your car, it is necessary to disinfect especially the things that are touched, picked, and leaned on.
Wash the exterior like how you would normally and regularly wash your car
When the interior of your car is all set-up and clean, you can now proceed to washing and disinfecting the exterior of your vehicle. Start by rinsing it off, and by applying car shampoo to it.
If you have a disinfectant that would not damage the paint or the hue of your car’s coating, then it would be best to use it, too. You never know who’s touching your car when it’s parked somewhere.
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Wash it carefully and make sure that you wash the tires, as well as the mags as well. If you’re new to this, it would also help to clean the edges and the crevices of your vehicle as it accumulates dirt. Rinse it to get rid of the soap and the bubbles that may have formed.
Rinse it again
After rinsing, rinse it again, especially if you’ve applied a disinfectant to it. Your car would not be broken if you keep on cleaning and rinsing it — don’t worry. After you rinse it for the 2nd time, you can now dry it using a chamois so that it absorbs the wetness and it leaves no scratch marks.
Return everything in its rightful place
When you’re done with the exterior, chances are, the mats, as well as the carpets inside of your car has already dried up, too. So, return them to their original position, and there you have it!
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Oh, we almost forgot; remember to clean your keys too. It might sound obvious and not too serious but it is actually one of the best things to remember. You hold your keys more times than you hold your steering wheel — be careful!
As you may have noticed, cleaning your car under the new normal is not entirely different from how we used to clean it back before the COVID-19 issue started. The only thing that you need to make sure of is the fact that you need to disinfect and thoroughly clean everything.
What do you think of the new normal when it comes to cleaning your car? Do you think that this information is likely to help people? Do you think that you’ll be to save many people from the current situation that we are in?
If you have an idea or two about how you can clean your car, good for you. What you can also do is to spread this information to friends and family members for their sake. Let’s help each other beat the infamous COVID-19 by being aware and knowledgeable!