COVID-19: Cleaning Your Car

If the coronavirus outbreak has you cleaning up against bacteria and viruses, your car can prove a real challenge. It has lots of nooks and crannies, all crammed into a closed space shared by multiple people.

A car interior

The owner's manual for my car disallows almost every cleaning solution other than a damp cloth. The typical car owner's manual will rule out most strong cleaners you might reach for to kill germs and viruses. Let's see our other options.

Sprays and liquids

The active ingredient in many spray cleaners is sodium hypochlorite, which is household bleach. A spray cleaner probably has around 2% concentration of bleach, compared to a bottle of common household bleach with a 6% concentration, but it's still there. Bleach is a great disinfectant, but one that seems too harsh, especially over time and repeated uses. On places like rear cargo mats, door scuff plates and other tough trim pieces, it is an option. Products containing benzylkonium chloride are a great option too.

Cleaning liquid

Wet Wipes

Cleaning wipes that contain sodium hypochlorite or household bleach.

Many other consumer cleaners use benzylkonium chloride, also sometimes listed as benzylammonium chloride, as their active ingredient. They're still probably in violation of your car's owner's manual but appear to be gentler than bleach. BKC/BAC is a recognised disinfectant. Some studies suggest it works better than the alcohol-based hand sanitisers that we've been crazy about lately.

Cleaning wipes

I haven't found any local products of the shelf though. You'll need to have this imported. A quick google search will provide several options. You may just be better off creating a bleach/water solution yourself (a much cheaper option).

Where to Clean

Whatever you use on car surfaces, read and follow the directions properly and note how much contact time it requires to kill germs and viruses.

Note that these products could affect the colour of your car's interior surfaces. That's why the owner's manual advises against them, but you have to judge the risk to the interior finishes vs. the risk from people who are in your car.

Simplify the job by focusing on these hot spots;

- Key and remote fob

- Exterior door handles, both sides

- Trunk lid or lift-gate grab area

- Interior door pull, both sides

- Start button, if equipped

- Rear view mirror, back and edges

- Vents

- Gear selector

- Centre stack knobs, buttons and screen

- Seat belt and buckle (avoid harsh cleaners on the belt itself, lest they degrade the fibres and the belt's strength)

- Parking brake release

- The screen is a tricky area: It gets touched a lot, but it's a bad place to use any kind of serious cleaner. Use screen wipes -- which aren't anti-microbial -- and use your voice more often! (if your car is so equipped)

Stay Safe!!!

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