How to disinfect your mobility scooter during the pandemic
As winter approaches, it is important for all of us to practise optimum hygiene to keep ourselves safe from viruses this season. This is, of course, more important than ever with the pandemic still very much present.
But Covid-19 isn’t the only unpleasant illness going around at this time of year: we’re also entering cold and flu season. The flu is responsible for the loss of around 17,000 lives per year on average in England, and for those who are susceptible to it, it’s not to be taken lightly.
Whether you’re classified as vulnerable or not, it’s a good idea to take extra precautions during the colder months to protect yourself from viral infections. You can do this by wearing a mask, practising social distancing, and washing your hands regularly. It’s also a good idea to sanitise your mobility scooter when you’re using it in public places, particularly busy indoor spaces like supermarkets.
Keep your scooter clean while out and about
When you’re out in busy public areas, your mobility scooter can become a vector for Covid-19, which means it’s a possible source of infection for you. Germs and particles containing the virus can settle on your mobility scooter, and you can transfer these particles into your body by touching your scooter and then rubbing your eyes or touching your face.
It sounds scary, but it’s important to remember that most people around you don’t carry Covid-19. Life must go on, but by adopting a few simple cleaning routines during your day you can massively cut your chances of being exposed to both Covid-19 and seasonal flu.
Next time you head out, bring a pack of disinfectant wipes with you and give your scooter a semi-regular wiping down, for example after leaving a shop. You can also take a travel bottle of hand sanitiser with you, to keep your hands clean, and don’t forget to keep your hands away from your face and eyes while you’re out.
How to disinfect at home
Each time you get home from a trip out of the house, particularly in busy public spaces, it’s important to give your scooter a more thorough cleaning to eliminate any traces of viruses that could still be on your scooter.
First, wear disposable gloves and a mask to clean your scooter. Use a disinfectant spray or solution such as Dettol, and try out a quick test patch somewhere to make sure it doesn’t damage your scooter’s surface. Proceed to clean your whole scooter with the solution, wiping it down as you go with a cloth rag or paper towel. Pay particular attention to those areas of your scooter you’re most likely to touch: the seat, the handlebars, the basket, and other heavy traffic areas.
Once you’re done, pack away your cleaning items and protective gear and give your hands a good wash with hot, soapy water.
Which products are best to use?
It’s important to make sure you’re not wasting time and money using products that don’t actually kill the viruses which cause Covid-19 and influenza. There are a few simple things to remember when choosing cleaning products to disinfect both your home, your hands, and your scooter:
- When it comes to cleaning your scooter at home, nothing beats good old soap and water. As long as you work up a good lather, detergents like soap and washing-up liquid will dissolve the lipids in the virus structure, preventing it from binding to our cells.
- To disinfect your scooter, diluted bleach solutions should do the trick. This includes common disinfectant brands like Dettol. If you want to be extra safe, check the packaging of your disinfectant before you buy to make sure that it combats viruses like influenza and coronaviruses, and you’re good to go.
- When buying hand sanitisers for yourself, look for gels with an alcohol content of no less than 70%. Any less than this and your sanitiser might not effectively neutralise the virus. And remember: washing your hands with hot, soapy water is always better than hand sanitiser, when it’s possible to do so.
Everyone’s nervous going into winter this year; there are still so many unknowns about this virus, and just how bad the UK’s second wave is going to be. We can’t put a stop to the pandemic just yet, but what we can all do is take small steps to keep ourselves and each other safe throughout these uncertain times.
Is your mobility scooter covered ensuring that you’re properly covered by suitable insurance in case of any accidents? For further information and advice, you can visit our mobility scooter advice and information page.
