Keeping the Inside of Your Car Clean & Safe

Your car's interior is probably not the cleanest place in the world, potentially exposing you and your passengers to germs, dust and mold brought in from the outside world. And because we at DroneMobile care most about vehicle and driver safety, we would like to share 3 Tips for Keeping the Inside of Your Car Safe and Clean.

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Tip #1: Wipe down high-traffic areas

Doing a full-on cleaning and detailing of your car's interior can be time-consuming and tiresome, but there are some key areas where you should focus on cleaning and disinfecting regularly. These are areas that you are often touching or handling every time you operate your vehicle and that you should wipe down at least once a week.

1. Driver's side door handle and locks
2. Steering wheel
3. Gear shift
4. Car keys
5. Driver's seat

Before you grab any cleaning or sanitizing wipe or spray, we recommend you consider the type of surface you are going to be cleaning. Unfortunately, there is no "all-in-one" solution that cleans, conditions, protects, AND disinfects all car surface types. But, you can utilize a combination of these solutions to keep your car's interior clean and sanitary. Here are some of our recommendations:

• Car interior wipes (e.g. ArmorAll, Meguiars) - Wipe dirt and dust off your interior and seats with cleaning wipes made specifically for cars. These wipes will also add a fine-layer of UV protection to prevent your surfaces from sun fading.
• Disinfecting wipes (e.g. Lysol, Purell) - Use disinfecting solutions on the high-traffic areas mentioned above to kill illness-causing bacteria and germs.
• Clean microfiber towel -  Cleaning wipes and sprays may leave residue or stickiness that can lead to more dust and dirt build-up. You can easily resolve this by buffing out any area you clean with a clean microfiber towel.

Prior to wiping your entire interior down with a single solution, try spot cleaning by focusing on a small, discreet area. Make sure that the cleaner is not causing any type of discoloration or leaving too much residue. If you are happy with the results, use these cleaning solutions regularly to keep your driving area sanitary!

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Tip #2: Keep your hands clean with hand sanitizer

Whether it's flu season or not, it is always a good idea to keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer inside your vehicle. Hand sanitizers like "Purell" eliminate illness-causing germs and prevent the spread of colds or viruses. Here are a couple situations where you should routinely use hand sanitizer to keep your hands clean:

1. After filling up at the gas station
2. After you're done shopping at the grocery store or mall
3. After working out at the gym or using exercise equipment
4. When you're eating on the go or at the drive-thru

We should note that using hand sanitizer is not a substitute for washing your hands. Washing your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds is always the best option. However, in situations where washing your hands is not practical, hand sanitizer can provide a quick and effective solution.

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Tip #3: Vacuum right

Vacuuming not only makes your car's interior look clean and fresh, but it also removes dust, dirt, and food particles. In addition to this tip, we believe in vacuuming "right", which means taking a few extra steps to make sure you're not actually spreading germs in the process.

1. Vacuum in this order: cupholder, seats, dashboard, floor mats, floor. While the first three steps are somewhat interchangeable, it is important that you don't go from your dirt-covered floor mats directly to your cupholder where your latte sits.
2. Wipe down the vacuum with that baby wipe. This is especially important if you're using a public vacuum. You don't know where people have put that vacuum nozzle, so give it a quick wipe down to make sure you're not spreading someone else's grossness throughout your vehicle.
3. After you're done, wash your hands or at least use hand sanitizer. Cleaning can be dirty business, and while you're removing germs and dirt from your vehicle, you may end up covering yourself with grime in the process. No worries, just wash up the next chance you get.

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As auto enthusiasts, the last thing we want is for you or anyone to feel stressed out about being in your car, so we hope these quick tips help you enjoy some peace of mind on your next drive.

And just for fun, here is a clear demonstration of how you should NOT clean the inside of your car.