Since the beginning of coronavirus global pandemic, CDC has set broad guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces to reduce the chance of covid-19 virus transmission. Legacy Car Rental company has complied with such guidelines and recommendations to offer a safe experience to its customers throughout their trips.
We’d like to share with you our experience of disinfecting a car’s interior and exterior surfaces that keeps our customers and staff safe and encourage you to replicate such process for your own well-being.
First, the person undertaking the process must protect him or herself; It is highly recommended to wear a medical mask or face covering as well as disposable gloves and avoiding touching one’s face during the process.
Second, read instructions of cleaning/ disinfecting products or chemicals you’re using to avoid any mishaps or allergic reactions you might have towards them.
Lastly, make a list similar to the one below of all the commonly touched surfaces inside and outside the vehicle. The surfaces we came across as commonly in customers encountered are but not limited to:
- Entertainment unit & A/C controls
- Seat adjustment controls
- Mirror adjustment controls
- Window buttons
- Turn light signal indicators
- Light switches
- Air exhaust vent adjustors
- Fuel cap and cover
Key fobs
- Rearview mirror
- Steering wheel and horn
- Cup holder
- Seat belts
- Gear nob
- Exterior door handles & trunk latches
- Interior door handles
- Sun blockers
In order to protect your car interior materials and exterior paint, we recommend you to use the products below while disinfecting your vehicle:
- Soft brushes
- Microfiber towels
- Paper towels
- Upholstery cleaner (look up your manufacturer’s instructions for recommendations for cleaning solutions)
- Water-based interior cleaning sprays (look up your manufacturer’s instructions for recommendations for cleaning solutions)
- Disinfecting wipes (make sure the chemicals used are harmless to car surfaces beforehand)
CDC recommends minimum 70% of alcohol-based solutions or EPA-registered household disinfectants or a mixture of water and bleach solution to disinfect a surface for covid-19. Since some car interior surfaces are made up of frail materials and can be damaged, it is recommended to look up your manufacturer’s manual for more details.
Before starting the disinfecting process, please open all passenger doors to allow fresh air to fully flow inside of the vehicle.
Start from top to bottom. For example: while paying attention to the commonly touched surfaces list, if the sun blockers are the highest point in the vehicle, start there and work your way down to the dashboard and other control buttons. Some may start from higher point which may be sunroof control buttons. Vacuum the carpets and seats and avoid using the vacuum on headrests. Eventually, once done with the interior, move on to the exterior of the vehicle and door handles.
Couple of tips to make sure you achieve great results may be:
- Avoid using dry disinfecting wipes
- Instead of “cleaning wipes” use “disinfecting wipes” recommended by the EPA or CDC.
Please end the process by carefully removing your gloves and face covering and dispose them properly in the trash and avoid any contact with your mouth or eyes.
Wash your hands with water and soap immediately.
Here at Legacy Car Rental in Los Angeles, we take drastic measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus and train our staff to fight the pandemic along our beloved first responders and medical workers. We hope to offer our customers a stress-free experience and see them happy and healthy. Thank you for choosing Legacy Car Rental.
