How To Clean And Disinfect Your Car

After the Covid-19 outbreak, most of us became more vigilant of our car cleaning habits to avoid spreading germs. Keeping your vehicle safe and germ-free is essential when listing your car on the market to avoid putting potential buyers in danger, as they might be part of an at-risk group.

Even when things return to normal, our vehicles remain at the halfway point between the outside environment and our home. So here are the WeBuyPrestigeCar top tips on how to properly prepare and clean your car before selling it.

• Best Car Cleaning Products

Before you start cleaning to prepare your vehicle for sale, make sure you have disposable gloves and a mask to protect your mouth and nose. If you are the only person using your car you may feel this is unnecessary but remember that the last thing you want is to finish disinfecting all the interiors and immediately sneeze, causing the process to be virtually useless. Plus, accumulated dust and a few cleaning products can be an irritant to your airways, so better safe than sorry.

For a thorough cleanse, you only need two things: bleach-free household disinfectant and soap. If you have leather details and don’t have the time to purchase more cleaning supplies, mix warm water and the liquid dishwashing soap for an easy alternative.

• Car Places You Need To Clean

Before you crack on with sanitising your car, here is a quick refresher of what places you need to clean:

• All door handles seat adjusters, buttons, headrests, buckles and control stalks
• Storage compartments like cup holders, door pockets and glove box
• Steering wheel and horn, gearstick, dashboard and multimedia screen
• Fuel cap and wheel valves as well as the boot lid
• Under the bonnet (remember to only do this after your car has cooled down to avoid injuries).

• How To Disinfect Your Car Interior

Before you sell your prestige car, gear up with gloves and a mask, and you’re ready to clean your vehicle! The first place to start is the exterior: use bleach-free disinfectant on all the door handles, including the boot, and your keys. 

Next, begin on the front end of the car and move backwards. Sanitise the entire steering wheel, including areas that are out of sight, but your fingers tend to grip to, the horn and any infotainment controls. Indicators, headlights and windscreen wipers controls should all be wiped. Want to make sure you aren’t missing any spots? Sit in the car as if you are driving off, where do your hands reach out to immediately? Make sure to disinfect all the parts that are most often touched.

Dashboard, window controls, air vents and all the parts of the seats should all receive a thorough clean before you move on to storage compartments. And don’t forget the glove box and central storage! This will also help you find any miscellaneous items that you forgot to remove before you hand over your car to a new buyer.

After the front section and rear seats have been sanitised, clean any light switches on the roof of your vehicle and then move on to the boot. Wipe your rear mirror and then clean your parcel shelf as well as any floor tabs that conceal your spare tyres.

Once you have disinfected the inside of your car to its full extent, wash the fuel cap and wheel valves. We recommend that you leave under the bonnet for the last step to ensure that the car has had time to cool down and remember to sanitise your bonnet release lever as well.

• Keeping Up Car Hygiene Habits

After putting your car on the market, you are likely to have requests for in-person viewings and test drives. To ensure the safety of everyone, a standard car cleaning routine should be put in place. This doesn’t have to be a deep clean.

To make it easier, and prevent the spread of germs, keep a packet of anti-bacterial wipes in your car, by always having them on hand you also will be able to keep your car cleaner for longer. Remember to sanitise your hands as well when you are entering your automobile, especially if it has just been disinfected or if you have touched objects that lots of people come in contact with (for example, the handle when fuelling your car). 

After your car is clean be sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Do you have any questions about what steps you should take before you sell your prestige car to WeBuyPrestigeCar? Head over to the FAQ section on the site or email WeBuyPrestigeCar at info@prestigevehiclebuyer.com