Everyone’s daily life is changing. We are constantly receiving guidance and prescriptions from the World Health Organization and local public health services to comply with various measures that would protect us from Covid-19. Coronavirus spreads very quickly, and washing your hands more often is not enough to reduce it. It is important to take care of the spaces you often inhabit – your home, office and even the car. It is one of the places where you spend time, so it is important to clean and disinfect it properly to reduce the chances of infection in case you carry a virus through your clothing or carry another person who may be a virus carrier.

Cars could become an unwanted incubator for the development of infection because they are narrow, closed objects, and the interior is made of a variety of materials and materials on which different types of microorganisms could stick. The Covid-19 virus can remain on the surface of glass, metal or plastic for up to several days. For this reason, we recommend that you use bacteriocides and viruses to disinfect your vehicle more often.

General procedure for cleaning and disinfection of the car

• Wash and disinfect your hands thoroughly before touching the surfaces in your car.
• The use of protective equipment such as gloves and a helmet is recommended when cleaning the interior.
• Cleaning should be done with a microfiber cloth, which easily removes all dirt and dust. In this way, in addition to removing visibly contaminated areas, the chance of microbial growth is reduced. The microfiber material is compatible for use with different types of biocides.
• The process of cleaning and subsequent disinfection needs to start from the surfaces with which you most often come into contact – handles, steering wheel, gear lever, seat belt, buttons, armrests and others.
• Be sure to disinfect areas such as backs, seats, windows, highchairs, toys, charging cables, etc. that you may not touch as much, but may retain the virus, especially when you cough or sneeze.
• You should always have a sturdy waste bag on hand, in which you can safely dispose of unnecessary items such as used wet towels, gloves, masks, disinfectant packaging, etc. It is not recommended to keep such objects in your car.
• Complete the hygiene and disinfection procedure of the vehicle by cleaning your hands.

Detergents for cleaning and disinfection of the car

Having considered the general guidelines for cleaning and disinfection of your car, we need to pay a little special attention to the choice of preparations with bactericidal, fungicidal and virocidal action. In addition to their disinfecting effectiveness, it is important to investigate whether they will not damage any of the surfaces in the car.

With a combination of soap and water you will be able to remove larger contaminants and some bacteria, but for their actual destruction it is necessary to use disinfectants that are harmless to you, the environment and the interior of the car. The preparations must include one or more of the following active ingredients: Quaternary Ammonium, Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate, Sodium Hypochlorite, Hydrogen Peroxide, Isopropanol, Octanoic Acid, Peroxyacetic Acid.

Many interior parts of the car can be cleaned with alcohol, but you should be careful, because its frequent use can lead to changes in the color of some surfaces. Before using a product, it is a good idea to carefully check its ingredients and what areas it can be applied to. Be careful with biocides containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide. They successfully remove the Covid-19 virus, but can cost damage to the upholstery or other surface in the vehicle. We recommend that you do not disinfect the touch screens from your car with detergents that contain ammonia, as this will damage the coatings.

Our advice is to always keep wet towels with a minimum alcohol content of 70% on hand in your car. This is a very practical option for quick disinfection when on the go. In addition, hand cleaning gel and a detergent that can wipe touched surfaces are another solution to trust on the go.

In case you want to ensure professional disinfection with high quality products for your personal car, you are developing a business for which you use company vehicles, rent cars or transport passengers, contact the Pachico team to choose the right products for you.