As the world battles with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India has 163,248 active cases with 12,573 deaths and 204,710 discharged. In view of the rising infections due to the CoronaVirus / COVID-19 Ford India has announced its tips to sanitise and disinfect the vehicle to stay safe and to reduce the risk of infection as well as to curb the virus spread.
As lockdown restrictions are lifted in cities across India and while Ford cars do provide safety from unfortunate events the car cannot protect you from unseen viruses and pathogens. While things are not still safe outside, sometimes one cannot avoid going out to buy medicine, groceries, food and daily essentials which may involve using a personal vehicle. To keep the occupant safe the vehicle must be cleaned and sanitised from time to time.
While cleaning physically does remove germs it does not kill them and sanitising lowers the number of germs and kills bacteria, lowering the risk of spreading but disinfecting the vehicle chemicals to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi, further enhancing the cleaning and sanitising process.
Having said that, it is important to choose the detailing products carefully. Cleaning products generally used in households contain ingredients like bleach, acetone, chlorine, and ammonia which can damage the interiors of the vehicle. Germ defoggers can also be used to reach every nook and cranny of the vehicle. Leather products free of harmful ingredients like bleach, acetone, chlorine, and ammonia should be used even on the rear portion of the steering wheel to avoid discolouration. Also, avoid spraying cleaning products directly onto the surfaces and instead spray it on a microfibre cloth and wipe down the surfaces. Also, hard plastics, knobs, buttons and infotainment systems can be wiped using specific non-toxic wipes.
The brand has also listed touchpoints which should be disinfected on a regular basis such as Key/Key FOB, Exterior Door Handle, Interior Door Handle, Lock and Unlock Buttons and Interior Door Release, Seatbelt and Seatbelt Buckle, Steering Wheel, Gear Lever, Handbrake, Signal & Wiper stalks, Cup Holder, Glovebox etc. It is also important to wash your hands with after the cleaning process to avoid cross-contamination and ingestion of cleaning chemicals.
Ford has also launched the Dial-A-Ford initiative with a dedicated phone number which can be used for assistance of service and maintenance of your Ford cars.
