How to clean a car: best cleaning techniques for getting rid of germs from your car
These are the top tips from Toyota and Attila Dobos, Operations Director at LeasePlan UK, to help you clean your car thoroughly.
Protect yourself first
Before you even begin cleaning your car, you need to make sure that you’re totally protected.
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Crack out some high quality rubber gloves and a face mask, if you can, as there will be a lot of dirt particles floating around the air when you get started. Opt for clothing that gives you full coverage as well, so a pair of jeans and a long sleeved top would be better than a vest top and a pair of shorts.
Clean the car as you normally would
Start off by cleaning your car in a regular manner. Target all the obviously dirty and messy areas first, as this will allow you to get into the finer details of cleaning more easily.
Pull out the floor mats and dust them, vacuum the seats and all the corners and anything else you would normally do.
Give it a soak
You’re going to need a large tub of water for this step. Add some detergent or liquid soap and mix well.
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Hide AdTake out all the carpets and floor mats and give them a good soaking in the bucket, as well as any other removable fabrics. You should submerge them for at least 30 minutes before letting them air dry.
Scrub
Get out a separate bucket of water and soap and give the car a good scrub, focusing on areas like your seats, door panels and armrests, and, of course, all the corners as well.
The specific areas to clean
These are the 40 areas that Toyota has identified that you need to clean thoroughly:
Exterior door handles
Frame of door and roof
Interior door release
Window switches
Interior door handle
Door pocket
Seatbelt clips
Seat adjust buttons
Steering wheel
Horn
Control stalks
Driver air vents
Dashboard
Power button
Gear shift
Multimedia screen
Central air vents
Heating controls
Glovebox
Log book
Central storage compartment
Cupholders
Rear-view mirror
Interior lights
Grab handle
Key
Head rests
Seat pockets
Rear central tab
Fuel cap
Wheel valves
Boot lid
Parcel shelf
Boot floor tab
Boot close button
Bonnet lid
Washer cap
Dipstick
Oil cap
Don’t forget the exterior
Cleaning your car isn’t just about the inside, but the outside as well.
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Hide AdA soap wash will ensure that the surfaces are clean, but make sure to be generous with commonly touched areas, such as door handles, mirrors and the boot.
After cleaning
Now that you’re done, make sure to properly dispose of any unclean materials immediately, like emptying the vacuum you used and washing out any of the buckets that were used for cleaning as well.
You should also stick the clothes you were wearing in the washing machine straight away, and hop in the shower, too.