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How to clean your car and bike to reduce your risk of contracting the coronavirus

DPA LIFE
Published April 06,2020
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Perhaps you're driving a car that someone else was in or maybe you're just nervous someone coughed on your bike's handlebars.

There's never been a better time to be a hygienic commuter, and even if you've run out of disinfectant you can still keep your scooter, bike and car coronavirus-free.

Here's how:

First, get a cloth and lather up some soap or normal washing-up liquid. You're better off avoiding anything with aggressive ingredients like alcohol or bleach. Otherwise, there's a risk you'll damage the materials.

If you're worried about ruining your interior fabric, first test it out on a spot in a hidden corner and see if it leaves a mark.

Gently wipe down all surfaces that may have been touched (or - heavens forbid - sneezed or coughed on) with a clean cloth moistened with some of the lather.

Leave it a moment to settle in, then wipe it all off again.

Make sure to regularly clean your car's steering wheel, gear shift, sun visor, dashboard, touchscreen and any other buttons, switches or controls for things like the radio, air conditioning or windscreen wipers.

Any mechanic will wince at the thought of you getting moisture into the sensitive electronics inside the car's devices, so make sure the cloth is just damp, not wet.

You might think a quick polish of your bike's handlebars is enough, but you'll also want to rub down the brake and gear shift levers, as well as your lock.

If you cycle an electric bike, you should also clean the on-board computer and control unit, but again be careful not to allow moisture to get inside it.

While there are no known cases of a person contracting the coronavirus from touching a surface, the World Health Organization (WHO) has pointed to preliminary studies suggesting that the novel coronavirus may persist on surfaces for a few hours or even days.