We have been asked. What’s the best way to disinfect a vehicle’s interior without lowering its value. So we decided to write this article to give our community the best tips possible. A Car Detailing illustration The Disease Control and Prevention Center (CDC) advises on this subject. It states that washing our hands and disinfecting high-touch surfaces are the best ways to contain the spread of Viruses. A recent study shows that Coronaviruses can linger on surfaces such as plastics and glass for up to 9 days. According to Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center, the most important parts that we should disinfect in our vehicles are the following: Door Handles Buttons Touch Screens Wiper and turn signals Armrests and Grab handles Seat adjusters Steering wheel Disinfecting your home is pretty simple. Household cleaners can destroy COVID-19, such as Bleach and Hydrogen Peroxide. But can you use the same chemicals on the inside of your car? The active ingredient in many household cleaners is Sodium Hypochlorite which is household bleach. Bleach is a great disinfectant for your kitchen and bathroom surfaces. But it is way too harsh for your car’s interior. It can ruin materials such as plastics and leather. A safer chemical that has been proven to be effective against Coronavirus is Isopropyl Alcohol. This is according to the CDC. Cleaners with at least 70% Alcohol can be used to clean almost every surface of your vehicle’s interior. Is there any other way to disinfect besides Chemicals? One of the best ways to disinfect is by Steam Cleaning. Using a steam cleaner is very effective in killing viruses, bacteria, dust mites, and germs. Steam cleaning is used in advanced detailing to sanitize interiors. We found that Alcohol was the least damaging but could cause damage if left on the surface for too long. The least amount of damage was done after various testing when the material had been cleaned and protected first. Combining Safe Products with Steam Cleaning We decided to combine the effectiveness of Isopropyl Alcohol and Steam Cleaning. We provide this service with our Extreme Disinfecting add-on. We first clean the interior with safe to use cleaning products. We then use a steam cleaner on all surfaces to disinfect. We follow that up by adding a layer of quality protection depending on the material. Once it dries, we use Isopropyl Alcohol to do a final wipe down of all surfaces. Are there any other tips when it comes to disinfecting a car’s interior? It is also essential to use brand new towels and gloves when cleaning your car. We recommend using a pair of new gloves and a brand new towel at every step of the process. So once you have cleaned the vehicle with a cleaner, throw away the towel and gloves. Use a new towel and gloves when applying the protectant. Finally, use a new towel and gloves when wiping down the interior with a safe disinfectant.