At ISTOBAL we are at the forefront of the development of advanced technologies in the field of sanitization and we would like to give you a series of tips on how to perform this process in your vehicle. Here follow some answers to the main questions about sanitizing the outside of your vehicle. In another post we'll tell you how to safely sanitize the inside of the car.

Should the inside or outside of the car be sanitized first?

Taking into account the usual layout of the car wash facilities, if you drive a private car you can start cleaning and sanitizing the outside and then move on to the inside.

On the other hand, in the case of cars that transport additional people to the main user (such as taxis, VTC (chauffeur-driven cars), car share vehicles, medical, emergency and law enforcement vehicles, among others) we advise cleaning and sanitizing the interior first in order to preserve the safety of employees and customers. Bear in mind that, in these cases, interior sanitization is more relevant since it is the area of the vehicle where the greatest interaction and contact takes place, so there is a greater probability of contagion.

How often is it necessary to sanitize the outside of the car?

Depending on the vehicle use. For example, in vehicles for your own use, we recommend that you sanitize the exterior every 15 days. For the rest of the cases we have mentioned above, and given the current pandemic situation, our advice is to sanitize it once a day or to sanitize the main contact points outside of the vehicle frequently.

What are the highest risk areas and which products should be used?

When sanitizing the outside of the car, special attention must be paid to the door and boot handles. Other important areas are the mirrors.  Take your car to a reputable car wash facility that uses effective products that have been properly tested with the surfaces to be treated so that they do not damage the bodywork, tyres, wheels or windscreen wipers. There will be no problems with ISTOBAL disinfectant products because they have passed the compatibility tests and comply with the regulations.

How do you clean the outside of the car?

At ISTOBAL we have designed different solutions for sanitizing the outside of a car in the car wash facilities. You can find specific programs for sanitization in our rollovers and high-pressure jet wash systems to supplement a regular wash program or also disinfectant sprayers for the car’s surface.

What is the sanitization process in an automatic rollover?

In automatic rollovers, this new sanitization program can be configured at the end of the wash process without rinsing or drying, but achieving maximum sanitization, or in the middle of the wash process, so that the level of sanitization is lower, but the final finish of the car is optimal.

For added safety, we have also developed a brush care shampoo that we recommend to brush wash facilities to prevent the transfer of contamination from one vehicle to another.

How do I sanitize the outside of the car at the jet wash?

In the case of jet wash facilities, this new sanitization program should be used as the final stage. A complete conventional wash with a final rinse must be performed before use. After this, a low-pressure spray program with the disinfectant chemical should be used.

This product is applied at a very low concentration due to its high effectiveness and is approved to disinfect surfaces, so it is not necessary to use PPE for its application. However, in view of the current pandemic situation, we recommend the use of gloves and mask during the manual wash process.

Remember to follow established safety protocols, such as washing your hands or disinfecting them. Measures should be reinforced in the case of potentially contaminated vehicles, such as ambulances. Also remember that spraying on people and animals is not permitted and use near children is not permitted. Bear in mind that you are using biocidal products, so if you have any doubts, we recommend that you speak to a member of staff from the facility who will be able to provide you with the safety data sheets for these products.

Now you have all the information about cleaning the outside of your car. We will address the interior soon. Keep an eye out for our blog!