by Savannah Car Rentals | in Uncategorized | 0 comments

We’re living in unprecedented times with the coronavirus upending almost every aspect of daily life. We’ve made disinfecting common surfaces a regular habit and we’ve been washing our hands religiously.  Most of the country is under some form of a stay-at-home order, but it’s inevitable that we’ll have to venture out of our homes to get essentials, meaning that we may come into contact with COVID-19 and bring it back to our vehicles. So here are a few tips on how to disinfect the interior of your car and stay safe and healthy, without damaging your vehicle’s interior surfaces.  Your Car & Germs  Think of all the frequently touched spaces in your car: door handles, steering wheel, gear shift, buttons, screens, armrests… There are so many places where germs can hide out. It’s helpful to keep disinfecting hand wipes or hand sanitizer in your vehicle so you can disinfect your hands as soon as you return to your vehicle. But you’ll also want to make cleaning the interior surfaces themselves a priority.  Cleaning Without Damaging  But how can you ensure your vehicle is sanitized without damaging the surfaces? Some household cleaners may not be friendly to fabrics and leathers, but most are. You can use most household cleaners that are at least 70% alcohol to kill the coronavirus on surfaces in your vehicle. Specifically, isopropyl alcohol will work and is gentle enough on surfaces to avoid damage or blemishes.  Gentle soap and water with a little scrubbing can also sanitize and clean your vehicle without fear of damage, but don’t scrub too harshly. Leather should also be conditioned regularly to maintain its appearance and to reduce wear and tear.  What Not to Use  There are a few solutions that you should avoid at all costs when cleaning the interior of your car. Specifically, do NOT use bleach or any cleaner containing hydrogen peroxide. These solutions will inevitably stain and severely damage leather, carpet, and fabric materials. They’ll also damage touch screens beyond repair as will ammonia solutions. If you use these solutions, the surfaces will be clean, but they’ll be severely damaged. So check the ingredients of your cleaners first.  Where to Clean  Wondering where exactly to clean and disinfect inside your vehicle? Here are a few suggestions:  Door handles (interior and exterior)  Cupholders  Armrests, front and back seat Window and seat controls  Steering wheel  Turn signal and headlight controls  Touch screens and other dashboard buttons  Seatbelts (including latches and any areas your hands may touch) Savannah Car Rentals is Here For You We understand these are trying times for everyone. It’s important to do what you can to say safe, sanitized, and healthy in the midst of this pandemic. At Savannah Car Rentals, we’re here for you if you need to make an essential trip or travel to care for a family member. Or, if you face car trouble, we can put you in an affordable rental at daily rates as low as $24.99. Find us in Savannah, Hinesville, or Statesboro and let us know how we can serve you. 

by Savannah Car Rentals | in Uncategorized | 0 comments

When you’re stuck at home due to weather, family responsibilities, or in this month’s case — social distancing — you can quickly feel like you’ve run out of things to do. But don’t get bored yet — when was the last time you gave your vehicle a thorough cleaning?    Cleaning your car is not only an easy job to do when you’re stuck at home, but it’s also an essential part of being a responsible car owner! And don’t lie to yourself and say you aren’t just a little bit happy to climb into a fresh, clean car when you’re finished.    5 Steps to a Cleaner Car    Here are a few quick, easy tips to help you get your car in like-new condition!    Grab a trash bag. First, get rid of all the trash in your car before you begin cleaning. You probably collect a variety of fast food drink cups, wrappers, and discarded mail collecting in your door frame, cup holders, and empty seats. Collect it all and throw it away so you can deep clean the rest of the car.  Vacuum floors and underneath seats. You’ll be surprised (and maybe a little grossed out?) but some of the stuff that collects on your car floor and underneath the seats. Old food, wrappers, loose change… you’ll find it all. Start with this because it’s typically the most time-consuming job.  Wash and scrub floor mats. If you have rubber floor mats, remove these, and then wash and scrub them with water and a light dish detergent. These mats collect all the dirt, dust, mud, snow, etc. from the outdoors, so they’ll probably need special attention.  Wipe down dashboard and interior surfaces. The interior of your vehicle has a tendency to gather quite a bit of dust and grime from day to day use. Using a cleaner or just a damp rag, wipe down the surfaces including the dashboard, controls, steering wheel, and insides of doors.  Don’t forget the windows. Whether or not you have kids, the insides of windows can get covered in fingerprints. Even if you don’t plan to wash the exterior of your car for a while, using a glass cleaner, clean the insides of your windows. This will really clear up your view from the inside!   If You’re Feeling Ambitious…  If you’re feeling really motivated, clean the exterior of your car, too! This may be hard to do if you live somewhere where you’re unable to hook up an outdoor hose due to cold temperatures. However, if you have access to a hose, some soapy water (gentle soap works well) and some clean, dry rags will help you get this job done quickly.    For a Fresh, Clean Rental, Rent with SCR  If you’re not up to cleaning your own car but need a fresh, clean vehicle for visitors, family, or business, rent with Savannah Car Rentals! You’ll get great daily rates starting as low as $24.99 from our Hinesville, Statesboro, or Savannah locations. You won’t have to worry about dust or grime in one of our factory fresh Nissans. Rent with us by booking on our site or give us a call!