As garages return to work and hopefully find their workshops busy, it is worth owners and staff taking some time to put in place strict protocols when it comes to vehicle cleaning and hand over. You might think that everyone in the team knows the importance of good cleaning practice and social distancing, but in the rush to get work done this is often all too easily forgotten.

The best approach is start as you mean to go on. Get into good vehicle cleaning practices and social distancing habits now and review these with the team on a regular basis. The threat from the virus is not going away anytime soon and how your workshop approaches this issue could literally be a matter of life and death.

Drop off or collection

If a customer is dropping a vehicle to you, or you are collecting it from them, the first thing to ensure is that they understand your system. Brief them on the phone how the drop off and collection process works and how distancing and key hand over should take place. It is also prudent to ask customers if a vehicle has come into contact with anyone with Covid-19 symptoms. If it has, then you may wish to consider asking the customer to isolate the vehicle for 72 hours before you tackle any work as such a period of time will significantly reduce the risk of infection.

If you have to collect a vehicle and two members of staff are required to do this, it is recommended that they should sit as far away as possible from each other, i.e. one passenger in the front and the other in the back, on opposite sides of the vehicle. The vehicle should also be well ventilated with windows open or air circulation set to external.

If a vehicle is being collected the staff should wear disposable gloves and masks and have anti-bacterial wipes for cleaning. It also important that they have a bag for safe disposal of used wipes and gloves which sould be put in the boot when used. Hand sanitizer should also be available.

Vehicle cleaning

Thorough and meticulous vehicle cleaning needs to become a habit that all garages and bodyshops get into from day one. It will also be vital that standards do not slip as people become complacent. This is why checking, reviewing and updating cleaning protocols will be vital.
 
For cleaning vehicles the best practice advice at present appears to be to first clean hard surfaces with warm soapy water or a general-purpose cleaner using a disposable cloth or paper roll. Then disinfect these surfaces with anti-bacterial spray or wipes. The use of over-aggressive cleaners needs to be avoided, as these can cause damage or discolouration to vehicle surfaces. When cleaning a vehicle it may be useful to have a checklist of touch points to be cleaned. For example:

Door handles, both internal and external

Steering wheel, paying particular attention to the rear where fingers tend to grip

Gear stick and hand brake

Indicator and windscreen wiper arms

Dashboard and audio controls, especially heaters and A/C

Air vent grips

Window switches and winders

Seat belts, adjusters and belt buckles

Seat adjustment controls.

Rear view mirror

Glove compartment handle

Keys

The use of disposable seat covers, gear stick covers and mats may also be considered. Like all cleaning materials a system needs to be in place for their safe disposal. After vehicle cleaning the operative should always change gloves and wash hands.  

It will also be important to allocate addition time to pre and post job vehicle cleaning and make appropriate charges. This is not an area where any business can afford to cut corners, so getting into good habits now is essential.