3.25.2020

Coronavirus care tips

Corona virus is currently the most important topic on everyone's lips. If everyone thinks about washing their hands and keeping the device clean, it's easy to forget their car.

Here are some tips to keep your car clean and operational.

interview

You have to service your vehicle. This extends the life of some of the more expensive parts and means that they are ready for use when needed. Unfortunately, many people neglect regular car maintenance.

It is particularly important now that you do some basic vehicle testing. We have published 31 vehicle maintenance tips and discussed ways to keep your car (mechanically) healthy .

If you work from home or travel less, your car would really benefit from a little extra help.

Short trips through the city are not particularly good for modern engines, especially for engines with catalytic converters or diesel particulate filters (DPF). These need a fairly good performance to start a cleaning process from time to time. Consult your requirements guide to activate this process and keep up to date. You can also add additives to your fuel to keep the fuel system clean.

The battery remains charged when a car is used regularly. If you park your car for a while, the battery may discharge, especially if there is a minor error somewhere or if you have additional safety devices or systems that continuously extract the juice from the battery. If you have one, connect the car to an intelligent charger. If not, try to continue using the battery as much as possible to restore it. The greatest demand for your car's battery is to start the engine. If it doesn't start the first time, check the battery voltage. Otherwise, the entire battery can be completely discharged and discharged. Have a jump rope kit ready in case you need to start a flat car. If possible, park the car in a garage or under a garage.

cleaning

Since this form of the corona virus is new, it cannot be said with certainty how long it lives on surfaces. Some studies suggest that depending on the surface, it might still be viable after 3 days (72 hours for plastic or stainless steel).

Other materials such as steel can cause the virus to reach its half-life at 1 p.m. Polypropylene (which is widely used in the manufacture of automotive automotive components such as car mat fibers) has an average half-life of 16 hours. .

Automobiles are made of many different materials, so the durability of viral elements varies.

UV light emitted by the sun is known to be harmful to microbes. Therefore, it can help keep virus levels under control in cars, although many automakers are now installing UV-reducing glasses. Apparently certain UV waveforms can alter a virus's genome and make it unable to reproduce. The effectiveness of UV light in killing the coronavirus has not been verified. So don't just rely on this method.

It is better to regularly clean the surfaces of your car that are touched frequently after use .

Cleaning method for cars

You need a little more than 70% alcohol (such as ethanol or isopropanol / isopropyl) or a mild detergent. Possibly even a white vinegar solution can be safely applied to plastic and vinyl components for automobiles. I've used diluted detergent in many different cars for years and haven't noticed any problems, but try out of sight first to see how the interior of your liquid car reacts. The reason why even a simple soap works is it attacks the outer layer of fat of the virus and causes it to break.

Another thing you should know is that there is a lot of electricity in a car. Therefore, please make sure that your towel or cloth does not get wet, as this can lead to an electrical short circuit. If you use too much water in your seats, they can get too wet and develop an unpleasant smell.

Everything you use should be safe for the interior of your car. So try to get a small stain out of sight to make sure you don't damage the entire surface. Auto interior factories actually use alcohol solutions to finally clean the components before assembly or shipping. These brands say it should work on faux leather, painted parts, plastic parts, and even upholstery. If you consult the operating instructions, there should be a section for cleaning the interior and the products to be used.

  • Step 1: empty the interior

    Remove all loose objects, waste, debris and coins. Store them in a safe place where they cannot transfer contaminants to surfaces such as your kitchen countertops. This way you can fully identify the areas where dirt is accumulating and prevent your vacuum from clogging. Take a look at the gap between the front seats and the center console, you might find a small fortune.

  • Step 2: vacuum cleaner

    Take a vacuum cleaner (or a stiff brush) and vacuum up dust, loose particles and lint. Work methodically from top to bottom. Be sure to hit all of these cracks in the seat cushions and seams. Remember to remove and shake the mat before vacuuming. Then you can access the doormat, which is often very dusty. Empty these areas too.

  • Step 3: clean

    Choose the cleaning solution you prefer (or the one recommended by the car manufacturer) and start cleaning the inside of the car. With plastics, you must be able to shake the surface firmly. This will lift the stowed and cooked dirt. Keep cleaning your rag, you don't want to disperse the mud. If the automaker thinks this is safe, leave the soap on for 20 seconds before cleaning to kill germs (ideally with a second damp cloth).

Some of the high priority areas to clean on your car interior

Areas within a car that you can focus on.

Here is a list:

  • Door handles: inside and outside, don't forget the trunk
  • Steering wheel: Studies have shown that the steering wheel can be four times dirtier than a public toilet
  • Gear / shift lever / handbrake
  • Buttons (think radio, air conditioning, emergency lighting, keyless ignition)
  • Keys and key rings - don't forget to clean your keys or key ring
  • Distributor: display, cruise control and wiper strips
  • Air vents for air conditioners
  • Sun visors
  • Rearview mirror
  • Seat adjuster
  • armrest
  • Cup holder
  • Touchscreens: Be very careful with the solution used, the humidity of your fabric and the pressure you use
  • Windows / electrical controls
  • Glove box handle
  • Mirror adjuster
  • Windows - Clean your windows where aerosol particles can sneeze and cough.
  • Seat belts: Clean both the belt and the buckles.

For cleaning leather and fabric seats, there are products on the market that have been specially developed to keep them fresh and in good condition. Otherwise, you will find a (diluted) fabric detergent that can work wonders on dirty old seats. Child seats should be removed and cleaned according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

When you're done, you can leave the doors open so the interior can dry naturally. This helps remove some of the moisture from cleaning.

Cabin air filter

Passenger compartments have cabin air filters, sometimes called pollen and dust filters, to filter dirt and debris. Some are just accordion fold paper, while others have activated carbon. These have to be replaced at fixed maintenance intervals. If your car has not changed in a while, you should do so. It would be useful to consider a full service at the same time. Also check your air conditioner as it may have an additional filter and can be cleaned to reduce odors and the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.

There are companies that specialize in cleaning and maintaining car air conditioning systems, as well as products for sale that help to kill bacteria that are hidden in ducts and ventilation slots.

Some Teslas have a HEPA air filter which, according to the manufacturer, absorbs "fine particles and gaseous pollutants as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen and mold spores". It's defense against biological weapons. Model S (from 2016) and Model X have this function.

Wash your hands

If you have not been hit, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If you are not careful, this can pollute your car. Keep the rags separate and wash your hands. And don't touch your face no matter how itchy. Wash the rags later or dispose of them responsibly.

Fill up at the gas station

Remember to keep your hands clean at gas stations. When you take the handle, you are holding a pump that has passed through countless hands. Although gasoline garages will certainly intensify cleaning, there are risks that you can avoid if you wear gloves when refueling. If you do not clean your hands afterwards, you can transfer contaminants directly to the door handles, wallet or wallet, card machine, telephone and many other places.

It is fair to say that we are living in worrying times, but we are following the advice of the World Health Organization and following simple hygiene practices such as hand washing to prevent the spread of the disease.

Further information.

For more information about coronavirus and to prevent it from spreading in our Information Center COVID-19 . Also check out the highly reliable resources listed below.

Let's block the ads! (Why?)

Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire