One of the many questions that COVID-19 has raised for the motor industry is how to clean vehicles to try and ensure they are as free of the virus as can reasonably be expected.

This issue applies to almost any part of the supply chain where there are multiple drivers or passengers of a car or van from daily rental to storage to delivery and could even affect mobility solutions such as car or ride sharing. So what might you need to do?

Guidance has been issued by a number of organisations but one of the most detailed has come from the RAC and can be found here.*

The method of cleaning suggested by the RAC is not simple and, perhaps most pertinently for the motor industry, not fast. It suggests leaving a vehicle for three days before cleaning begins because evidence suggests there is a good chance the virus will die within this time frame if it is present on a surface.

As for the cleansing itself, it is comprehensive and requires extensive use of PPE equipment – disposable or otherwise – in order to protect the person undertaking the job. This is not something that can properly be completed in a few minutes. Plus, of course, a standard vehicle valet may need to be carried out afterwards.

Finding ways of ensuring that vehicles are virus-free seems to us one of the most important aspects of returning to what seems to now be called the new normal, especially when it comes to both employee safety and gaining the trust of customers.

We’d be very interested to hear about your experiences and any best practice ideas that you have adopted.

* www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/how-to/how-to-clean-your-car-interior-to-reduce-the-risk-of-spreading-coronavirus/

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