3 Things You Must Do With Your Car During Quarantine Period

By the start of the second week of the community quarantine, you would’ve had a list of things to do to to pass the time. We’re pretty sure taking care of your car is at the bottom tier of that list.

Now that your car is parked for most of the time, it’s a good thing to think of all the things you’ve been putting off doing when it comes to car maintenance. Here’s a list of things to do for an overall maintenance of your car during lockdown.

Review your car insurance policy

Check your car insurance coverage. If your policy is about to end, you’ll only need to apply for a new one online and have your new policy delivered to your address when the quarantine is over.

You can also opt for paperless policy and just get an electronic copy you can keep in your smartphone or cloud at all times for easy access. Imagine all the free space in your glovebox.

Check your car condition

If you don’t have an in-home garage, make sure your car is parked at a safe place and use a car cover. Check the tire pressure and turn on the engine for up to five minutes when you can, ideally once a week. When appropriate, drive it around the block so it gets fully warmed up.

Animal damage such as rats gnawing at your car’s electric lines will not be covered by your car insurance, as it will appear as the car has been neglected or unattended for a long time. This is why it’s important to check your car regularly.

If you’re not one of the people exempted from the travel ban, don’t forget to disconnect your car battery as it prevents it from being slowly drained. You’re welcome.

(Read: ‘Payment Holiday’ On Your Loan And Credit Card Explained)

Make your car COVID-free

If you aren’t particular with thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting your car, now is the time to learn how to do it yourself. Since most car wash services are closed right now, you should learn how to properly clean your car from the inside out.

Step 1: Clean

Disinfecting won’t do anything if you haven’t cleaned out your car. It’s time to take out those old, moldy stuff in there, and other items/trash that have been sitting for god-knows-how-long. Assuming, of course, that you are not the OCD type.

Ideally, you will need to use a vacuum to really get rid of all the dust and dirt. Otherwise, just check every nook and cranny of your car and brush to get rid of unwanted items.

See that tiny black hole between your car seats? It’s time to remove all the stuff that has fallen there since you started driving your car.

Step 2: Sanitize common touch points

Take note of these commonly touched car surfaces and thoroughly clean before you disinfect them:

  • Door handles
  • Steering wheel
  • Rearview mirror
  • Shifter
  • Control buttons
  • Armrests
  • Leather seats
  • Carpets

Since your hands are mostly in contact with these portions of the car, it’s prudent to start thoroughly cleaning them. Although COVID-19 won’t survive long enough in inoragnic material, you don’t want to take your chances.

Step 3: Disinfect

Now this is the more painstaking part of cleaning your car. Use proper cleaning and disinfecting practices and follow the US Center for Biocide Chemistries’ Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Fighting Products List. Products available in the Philippines are Lysol, Purell, Sanicare, and Clorox.

Do not use bleach or peroxide-based cleaners because it can cause damage to your car’s surfaces, especially the leather seats. To start cleaning, use a microfiber towel and spray it with laundry soap and water and wipe off the moisture.

Don’t soak the cloth in soap as it creates suds and might cause your upholstery to accumulate moisture for mold growth. Once you’ve cleaned all surfaces, you can then disinfect by spraying a cloth with alcohol. You can also opt for a disinfectant spray to thoroughly sanitize your car.

Although you won’t be able to drive your car during these times, it’s best that you are mindful of its condition.