With cold and flu season in full swing, sanitizing high-touch surfaces becomes especially important this time of year. When you think of cleaning and sanitizing around your home, you may think of frequently touched items and surfaces such as your phone, microwave oven buttons, faucets, countertops, door handles, etc. A frequently overlooked area is your vehicle’s interior, with frequently touched components such as the steering wheel, gear shifter, dashboard, seats and more.
These components are all considered high-touch surfaces, which customers and their families come into contact with on a day-to-day basis. Ensuring a car’s interior is clean and sanitized is helpful when trying to prevent the spread of germs that cause bacteria and viruses, especially as drivers spend time in their vehicles throughout the colder months.
According to Kristina McGuirk of Better Homes & Gardens, “A 2014 study on bacteria found in car interiors looked at 11 high-touch areas of your car, and found the dirtiest spots to be the steering wheel, gear shifter, door handles and window switches, and the center console or beverage holder area. Not to mention, steering wheels were almost four times dirtier than public toilet seats …”
So, you may be wondering, what can be done to thoroughly clean and sanitize a car’s interior and how to keep it that way throughout the entire season. Common, household cleaning products and wipes can only go so far and require frequent use and reapplication, as well as possibly containing harsh chemicals that can be harmful to children and pets. Besides, who has the motivation or time to stand outside in subfreezing temperatures manually wiping down and sanitizing their vehicle on a regular basis?
As a dealer, you have the opportunity to provide your customers with a unique solution to this problem. Your customers spend a lot of time in their cars. Adding something that can provide that certified, clean feel to their vehicle’s interior is sure to make those weekly carpools and commutes much more enjoyable.
Try offering your customers a protection plan that includes an eco-friendly disinfectant solution that can be professionally applied to the interior of a vehicle and offers protection against stains, microbes and germs, odors, minor tears and UV rays. A hyper-green solution that bonds to virtually all materials and surfaces, is non-toxic and highly durable (meaning it will not rub off, eliminating the need for reapplication) is a great addition to any vehicle purchase.
A protection plan such as this can serve as an effortless and convenient add-on for busy customers who likely don’t have the extra time to clean their vehicles regularly in between their hectic and on-the-go schedules.
This could especially stand out as a major benefit in the used vehicle space where customers are looking for that guaranteed clean and sanitized feel as they take ownership of a new-to-them vehicle. Ensuring their pre-owned vehicle is cleaned efficiently with a professionally applied solution that’s both eco-friendly and safe for their entire family will boost your customer’s confidence as they make their purchasing decision.
