Thorough sanitization is a new standard of daily life. Everywhere you go there are spacing requirements and guidelines or mandates to keep you and others safe from the spread of COVID-19 and other germs. When asked to considered the germiest places you spend your time, it’s unlikely you’re going to stop and think about behind your steering wheel. In 2016 AAA surveyed Americans to find that 87.5% of individuals over the age of 16 drive, and spend an average of 290 hours on the road.
That much time dedicated behind the wheel means you’re leaving behind germs from all the places you’ve come and gone. This can be a scary realization, especially if you rarely clean the interior of your vehicle. It’s important to deep clean your interior at least once a month, and if you’re a transit snacker or transport other people or pets, then you should be doing it twice as often! Two to three times a week you should be cleaning out any items lying about your vehicle and using a disinfectant to wipe down any high-touch areas. Anybody with a weekly home cleaning routine can understand why this would be an important habit to carry over to the vehicle – it’s amazing what can accumulate at home over a few days!
The best way to clean anything is to start from the top down, so we advise the same for when you clean the interior of your vehicle. Starting the process with vacuuming the floors only blows dirt and dust around the rest of the vehicle, so plan to start by wiping down the dashboard, your seats, and all areas you often touch. Any entertainment settings, mirrors and gear shifts or knobs should be wiped clean and thoroughly inspected if they haven’t been looked over in a while.
One of the dirtiest places inside your vehicle is your steering wheel. You spend the entire time inside your vehicle touching this wheel, and so grime and dirt build up twice as fast here. It is important to pay special attention to this area of your car, and even if you don’t adopt a monthly cleaning procedure, it’s a good idea to clean at least your steering wheel regularly.
Another part that is often missed when cleaning your vehicle is the door jambs. This area is missed when you visit the car wash, and will be missed if you sit inside your vehicle to clean it out. It is helpful to open all the doors to your vehicle and make sure you are cleaning out all the door openings, as they can get caked with mud and debris from use.
Car maintenance is a lot more than oil changes and tire rotations. Proper care of the interior of your vehicle protects your investment, and improves your resale value. If you don’t have time to take care of an interior clean regularly, or are interested in paying for one initial thorough clean to get you on the right path, let us know and we can recommend options to get you started.