Cleaning and Disinfecting the Inside of Your Car

Do you know that a typical kid’s car safety seat probably harbors more harmful microorganisms than the toilet seat in your home, including E.Coli, the Norovirus, salmonella, flu, and many others? Well, according to research from the University of Birmingham, this is true, and in this era of the COVID-19 virus, disinfecting your car has never been this critical.

A typical driver spends lots of time inside their car, especially those who use it as a mobile office. Sadly, vehicle interiors can be extremely dirty environments and a perfect thriving ground for an uncountable number of microorganisms. To start us off, Miracle Body and Paint, the best Body shop in San Antonio, has listed a few dependable ways of ensuring that the inside of your car is superbly cleaned and disinfected.

Areas that Microorganisms Hide in Your Vehicle

Your vehicle has lots of places that effortlessly double up as hiding places for the irritating germs. These places include:

UPHOLSTERY

Food crumbs and other particles on your car’s seat upholstery and seats are fertile, thriving grounds for bacteria and a host of other microorganisms. Besides, the dashboard, shifters, door handles, steering wheels, and touch screens are usually covered by germs.

CABIN AIR FILTER

In case you love leaving the car’s windows rolled up on plenty of occasions, it goes without saying that the cabin air filter possibly has lots of trapped pollen grains, germs, and mold spores. Such kinds of dirt will definitely make the filter extremely dirty and render it ineffective, making your cabin’s air quality inferior.

CAR KEYS

Apart from the frequent handling of your car keys, they are continually being placed on a myriad of surfaces with lots of viruses and bacteria. The moment you pick up the keys, the microorganisms hop on to your clothes and skin.

Germs That Live Inside Vehicles 

Cars host a plethora of germs that may lead to an array of health issues, including diarrhea, coughing, sore throat, body aches, and vomiting. Below are more germs that might be thriving in your car right under your nose:

• Coronaviruses such as COVID-19
• Flu and cold viruses such as influenza and rhinovirus
• Intestinal organisms such as Salmonella, Norovirus, Coli
• Allergens and mold spores

How to Protect Your Car’s Interior 

The best part is that there are various preventive steps that can effectively keep unwanted ‘intruders’ out of your vehicle, starting with the following:

VACUUM 

It is recommended that you give your car’s interior an excellent vacuuming once in a while, preferably every month. Always ensure that you utilize a brush attachment on the carpeting and seat fabric. Also, a crevice tool will come in handy in vacuuming the nooks and crannies where bacteria and food crumbs are concealed. Remember to vacuum under and between the seats, and make sure that you also vacuum the children’s safety seats.

 

SHAMPOO

A host of microscopic particles such as germs, dust, and pollen usually infiltrate deep inside your seat upholstery and carpets. This is the reason you should shampoo your cabin’s fabric occasionally. Shampooing your floor mats and hanging them to dry in the sun also disinfects them. And if you are too busy for a DIY upholstery shampoo job, Miracle Body and Paint offers professional interior detailing services.

DISINFECT

Do you know that viruses can exist for ages on exposed metal, vinyl, and plastic surfaces? This is why you should carefully wipe down the dash, cup holders, trim, consoles, and door panels with dependable disinfectant wipes. You may even go the extra mile and use a superior disinfectant to spray clean the air in the car’s cabin.

 

A/C & CABIN FILTERS

The A/C and cabin filters are essential in removing unsafe particles from the passenger compartment, meaning that clogging leads to decreased air quality. Ensure that you replace the filters according to the manufacturer’s manual and consult an auto body shop specialist to clean out the A/C vents for increased protection.

 

Miracle Body and Paint Auto Shop

In this era of COVID-19, the cleanliness of your car can mean the difference between life and death. It’s that serious! As your number-one auto body shop in San Antonio, Miracle Body and Paint cares for your health and welfare. We are a state-of-the-art collision center with vast experience, highly-trained staff, and cutting-edge equipment for all your auto needs.