You might have seen us on WDRB In The morning, this morning. We were giving a few professional tips and tricks on how to properly clean your vehicle. Take a look at the videos here;
The night before we went to Walmart and got readily available products that anyone can use. The products we got off of the shelf to clean the interior and exterior cost around $60.
Other products we use can be found on our website in the Store. If you buy from Detailed Image (which each product is linked to) and use the code DetailedImage9769, you'll receive 10% off at checkout.
We talked about cleaning leather and plastics with an interior cleaner, carpets and mats with carpet cleaner and vapor steam or a carpet brush, disinfecting the high touch areas with at least 70 percent Isopropyl Alcohol, the headliners with a damp microfiber cloth (rub gently), wheels, wheel wells, washing, drying, and finishing out the vehicle (windows and tires).
What interior pieces should be sanitized inside cars to protect against COVID-19?
First and foremost, you should clean and sanitize any frequently touched surfaces in your car often. Steering wheel, door handles, shift lever, any and all buttons, touchscreen displays, wiper and turn signal stalks, all interior armrests, including those on the doors, center console, and pull-down armrests in rear bench seats, door grab handles, ceiling and pillar grab handles, seat belts and adjusters, and door glass.
NOTE: Alcohol solutions that contain at least 70 percent alcohol or more are effective against Coronavirus, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control).
All of these items and most other plastic trim pieces can all be safely sanitized with at leas 70 percent Isopropyl Alcohol.
The process for cleaning and sanitizing your car's plastic trim pieces is quite simple. You will need a few microfiber towels and a bottle of at least 70 percent Isopropyl Alcohol. You can attach a sprayer to the alcohol bottle; you might need to trim the bottom of the stem to fit the bottle properly. If you don't have a sprayer, just use a small amount straight from the bottle onto a fresh microfiber towel. Simply mist a small amount onto the microfiber towel and wipe clean all high-touch plastic surfaces thoroughly. Remember, alcohol has the nature of evaporating fast, so you may have to repeat this step multiple times depending on the size of the trim piece.
As a side note, remember to wear gloves, wash your hands before you enter your car and first thing after you exit the car, dispose of your gloves. This will help prevent spreading of not only COVID-19 but other germs as well.
Whatever you do, don't use Bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide on the inside of your car. And do not use ammonia-based cleaners on car touch screens, as they can damage their anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings.
Leather. The most important thing to remember is to take it easy when cleaning your leather. Your leather has dyes in it, do not apply force or pressure, to much scrubbing and vigorous cleaning can cause the color to fade. Use a high quality leather cleaner and conditioner.
Two Bucket Wash Method. (2) five gallon buckets with a Grit Guard Insert in each one. The real difference with the two bucket method, is after you wash a panel of the car, you then rinse your wash mitt in the second bucket filled with plain water. Running the mitt along the surface of the grit guard to release the dirt you've accumulated on the wash mitt will help prevent scratches and micro-marring. Remember, while washing start with the top of the vehicle and work your way to the bottom. Most of the dirt and grime is on the lower part of the vehicle and getting your wash mitt filthy from the start is not good.
Grit Guard Insert. The whole idea behind grit guard is to protect your precious painted surfaces from being scratched. It separates the grit from the mitt. The dirt settles at the bottom of the bucket.
If you have questions about any of the processes or about what products to use feel free to give us a call at 502-592-8310.