"The New England Journal of Medicine did a study on how long novel human coronavirus survives on a range of surfaces," reports Car Wash Magazine. "The report concludes coronavirus can exist on stainless steel and plastic for two to three days. Another study listed in the Journal of Hospital Infection surface tested several nasty viruses including SARS. It concludes the viruses can live on ceramics, metal, glass, rubber, and plastics for two to nine days. These are the same materials used inside a car." Car cleaners need to be more cautious than ever.

Car cleaners and related businesses offering interior cleaning services should be prepared to fully disinfect the inside of customers' vehicles.

Car Wash Magazine recommends that car cleaners wear both gloves and masks to reduce both germ-​related and chemical harm to the skin. Disposable microfiber towels are also recommended to clean the interior of cars. Car Wash Magazine says, "OSHA’s best practices dictate cleaning bio-​threatened surfaces with a one-​use cloth. Disposable microfiber towels are ideal for this application. The softness and scouring proficiency of microfiber is far superior to cotton cloths and disposable wipes, especially on textured surfaces."

Cleaning solutions that are a minimum of 70% alcohol are the best for ridding flat and textured surfaces of COVID-​19, according to the CDC. For leather and upholstery, car cleaners should use soap and warm water instead to avoid damaging these surfaces while still thoroughly disinfecting them. Steamers and extractors can also do the trick.

Bleach and hydrogen peroxide should never be used when cleaning cars as they can cause damage.

Car washes, detailers and other related businesses can promote their safe practices through both digital and traditional advertisements. Last year, according to AudienceSCAN, Car Wash/​Detailing shoppers were motivated by direct mail ads/​coupons, TV commercials and sponsored search results.

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. In addition, AdMall contains industry profiles on car washes and automotive body, paint and interior repair, as well as lead lists at the local level. Media companies, sales reps and agencies can access this data with a subscription to AdMall from SalesFuel.