The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting nearly every aspect of our lives.
Some companies say people are becoming more cautious about the cleanliness of the vehicles they ride in.
7 Action News reporter Darren Cunningham spoke with a couple of companies working to disinfectant vehicles long before the pandemic.
Now they say COVID-19 sparked an awareness and desire for drivers to ride virus-free.
"Cars have been known to be one of the dirtiest modes of transportation when it comes to sanitization," said Pratik Patel, president of Ridekleen.
We all ride in them. Most of us drive them, getting from point A to point B.
Pratik Patel, president of Ridekleen , is in the business of helping you keep your ride clean.
"When you get into the car, what's the first thing you touch? Probably the steering wheel or the doorknob and typically the steering wheel is about 40 percent dirtier than a public restroom, which is scary to think about," said Patel.
It's a stunning stat, especially given the onset of COVID-19.
Patel says parent company, Cox Automotive, has seen an increase in the desire among drivers to virus-proof their vehicles, whether it's with disinfectant as we know it or foggers on a commercial scale.
"And so going forward, we truly believe that this is going to be a little bit of the norm," said Patel.
"This is something that we've been working on for quite some time actually and when COVID-19 hit, you know, it was like 'oh my gosh, it's like the flood gates have opened in terms of awareness'," said John Major of GHSP.
GHSP in Grand Haven uses UV-C technology, currently on emergency vehicles.
Director of marketing, John Major, says an external device coupled with fixtures on the inside of the vehicle, emits high and low doses of UV-C light to rid the interior of bacteria and viruses. It's called the grēnlite system .
"We can actually make adjustments to make it more effective," said Major. "We can increase dosage times. We can have it sense when it's safe to operate continually operating throughout the day."
He says it'll really come in handy for those who partake in ride-sharing.
The Centers for Disease Control offers these tips on disinfecting your vehicle.
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