A vehicle could be a hotbed of germs and bacteria, if not properly cleaned. That's why Ziebart, a 60-year-old global provider of vehicle appearance and protection services with 400 locations and 1,200 service centers across the world, is offering helpful car sanitization tips, including identifying and disinfecting high-touch point areas inside and outside of their vehicles.
Troy, MI - A vehicle could be a hotbed of germs and bacteria, if not properly cleaned. That's why
Ziebart, a 60-year-old global provider of vehicle appearance and protection services with 400 locations and 1,200 service centers across the world, is offering helpful car sanitization tips, including identifying and disinfecting high-touch point areas inside and outside of their vehicles.
Currently, select Ziebart locations are offering a free wipe down of highly touched areas for all first responder vehicles. When performing the free first responder service, Ziebart technicians pay special attention to the following areas, and recommend ALL consumers who must use their cars during the pandemic pay close attention to the same areas:
High-Touch Point Areas:
- Steering wheels, door handles (interior and exterior), door latches, lock buttons, radio and climate control buttons, touchscreen radios/GPS systems, seat belts.
"While we encourage people to stay home and abide guidelines to help flatten the curve, we understand it may be necessary to use your vehicle for certain essential trips, and want to help provide guidance where we can," said Edmund Russell, Director of Product Development & Technical Support for Ziebart.
In addition to following CDC guidelines, such as wearing a mask, gloves and maintaining social distance, below are some DO's & DON'T's from Ziebart for when you must use your car:
DO
- After leaving the grocery store, place your mask in a paper bag before putting it on your car seat.
- Similarly, remove your gloves and place them in a bag before entering the vehicle. Throw the bag with the gloves away when you get home.
- Placing your mask and gloves in a bag before entering your vehicle prevents any germs from the store that are now on the gloves/mask from being transferred to the car.
- Carry anti-bacterial wipes to disinfect the high-touch points of the vehicle noted above, including steering wheels, door handles (interior and exterior), door latches, lock buttons, radio and climate control buttons, touchscreen radios/GPS systems, seat belts.
- To reduce damage, use an alcohol swab to clean touch screen radios in the car.
DON'T:
- Don't place used gloves and masks on the seats in the car after leaving the grocery store.
- Don't throw used plastic gloves on the ground outside of the grocery store.
- Never spray any liquid chemicals on electronic devices in the car – this can severely damage the system and lead to a high cost to repair
- Don't use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to clean – this can damage surfaces.
"While nothing you do on your own is comparable to receiving a professional, anti-bacterial detailing service, there are certain things you can do to help sanitize high-touch areas until you can get to a detailing professional," said Russell, noting that in addition to regular, professional anti-bacterial detailing, vehicle owners should consider Germ Defender® which minimizes exposure to germs and bacteria, and has an EPA approval to keep germs and bacteria at bay for up to 90 days.
About Ziebart
Founded in 1959, Ziebart is the worldwide leader in detailing, films and structural protection services, providing complete car care solutions. Ziebart International Corporation operates over 400 locations, with 1200 service centers, in 33 countries. As an established automotive enthusiast brand, Ziebart has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top 500 Franchisor as well as a Top 200 Global Franchise. Ziebart is continuing to grow through franchising, offering a best-in-class investment for qualified prospects. For more information about Ziebart including franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.ziebart.com/.