Do you own a vehicle? Are you wondering how to still care for it during the pandemic?
As COVID-19 spread throughout the world, many found their lives growing harder. Often, people needed to decide which excursions were necessary and otherwise stay at home or away from others. Still, even if you decide to mostly shelter at home, you need to go out every once in a while to take care of your needs.
One of these needs is car washing. After all, you still want your car to look good, and not washing it well contributes to its overall poor appearance. If you’re someone who needs to drive in to work or have socially distanced in-person meetings with clients, having a clean, good-looking car is essential.
But how do you keep your car clean and keep yourself safe? We’ll get into it below. Keep reading to learn more!
Do: Look Into the Policies of Every Car Cleaning Business
Are you taking your vehicle to a comprehensive car cleaning place, at which workers will enter your car?
If so, you should call ahead and ask them about their coronavirus pandemic prevention measures. Only go to locations where employees and clients are required to wear masks and careful sanitizing and social distancing procedures are followed. If the shop states their preventative measures are optional (such as not mandating masks among employees or customers), search for another place.
Don’t: Go to a Shop without Knowing Their Policies
Many people yearn to get out and experience life again, and we get it. Sometimes, maintaining a physical distance from other people gets difficult. You want to see other people and start experiencing the normal rhythms of life again.
Still, this doesn’t mean you should ignore safety and go to a shop without looking at their policies. While many people may think going into a possibly unsafe situation will probably be fine if it’s just one time, you heighten your chances of catching and spreading the virus. So, if you want to stay safe, make sure you know the shop’s social distancing and hygienic policies beforehand.
Do: Limit Your Time Indoors
Do your best to find shops that conduct most of their business outdoors. With the advent of the coronavirus, many companies have instituted contact-less operations, usually using calls or texts to allow business employees to know you have arrived.
Medical researchers estimate the virus spreads more quickly inside than it does outside and encourage proper ventilation in buildings. This means you should avoid going indoors whenever possible and use extreme caution when you must do so.
Going indoors at points may be unavoidable. For instance, you might have to pay for your service, and the cash register can’t be moved outdoors. In these cases, you should put on a mask and stand at least 6 feet away from workers and other patrons. Often, stores will have stickers on the floor showing you how far apart to stand if you’re in line.
Once you’re inside, don’t dawdle or stop to chat with someone you know unless you’re both waiting on service and can social distance. Maintain your space, finish your business, and leave the building as soon as possible.
Don’t: Show Up without a Mask
Many businesses now require masks in order to receive service. While this may seem controversial to some, it’s important to respect the safety parameters the business has put in place. After all, adhering to their policies ensures you get swift and seamless service and keeps others safe!
As such, you should always have a mask on hand. If you’re getting the interior of your car cleaned and are concerned the workers won’t wear masks, purchase some to give to them and ask that they wear them while in your vehicle.
Do: Consider Doing Your Car Washing at Home
Have you ever seen your neighbor outside, housing his car down and scrubbing at the wheels with suds and a brush?
The good news is you can still do many of your car washing activities at home. You just need the right materials for it.
To wash your car, invest in a good pair of rubber gloves, as well as some dedicated car soap. Dilute the soap with water, get some sponges and brushes, and scrub away!
You can also disinfect your car interiors with COVID-19 disinfectants approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This ensures you kill any lingering traces of the virus in your car while keeping it clean.
Cleaning your own car also reduces the amount of money you pay for the entire procedure. After all, expenses at a regular shop can add up, especially if you decide to have more than one process done. If you want to avoid steep bills as part of your cost of service, you should consider washing your car at home.
Don’t: Just Use Home Materials
Often, people who wash their cars at home become tempted to just household supplies to do the cleaning.
You shouldn’t do this, though. When you wash your car, you need to use materials approved to go on the paint and interiors, so be sure to buy mixtures made for cleaning vehicles. If you just use soap, for instance, it might end up stripping away protective wax layers, ultimately damaging your car.
Ready to Get Your Car Washed?
Now that you know more about car washing in the midst of a pandemic, you’re ready to get your vehicle looking squeaky-clean.
Getting your car washed in the middle of the pandemic can be difficult. You need to decide whether or not you want to risk going to the shop, and if you decide to get it professionally serviced, you need to make sure social distancing and preventative measures are in place. By following the advice above, you’re sure to get a clean car and stay safe!
Want more car advice? Check out the rest of our articles today!