Car Wash Disinfecting Vehicles for Essential Workers During COVID-19 Crisis

Like distilleries turned hand sanitizer manufacturers and other industries pivoting to provide products crucial in the fight against COVID-19, Autobell Car Wash has shifted its focus from car washing to providing an essential vehicle Interior Disinfectant service to help flatten the coronavirus curve.

Already in the research and development process since last fall of adding an interior disinfectant service to its car wash options, Autobell took action to offer the service system-wide in early March to protect Autobell team members and the driving public in the face of the looming COVID-19 crisis.

“We are no longer primarily a car wash; we are a cleaning and disinfectant company helping slow the spread of coronavirus, serving everyone from police departments to postal workers to medical personnel,” said Carl Howard, COO of Autobell Car Wash, Inc. “Since we instituted this service in mid-March, we have disinfected more than 70,000 vehicles across all of our stores.”

PURTABSTM is an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant that meets the EPA’s criteria for use against COVID-19. The disinfectant is applied using a fogging technique after people and pets exit the vehicle. This is followed by a one-minute activation period with car doors and windows closed.

The Interior Disinfectant service will eventually become an optional a la carte service, but it is currently provided free for essential workers visiting Autobell for an interior cleaning, as well as a free stand-alone service for first responders and government workers with a government-issued ID.

“Stay-at-home orders are currently in effect in every city that Autobell serves, therefore we felt it was important to support the essential workers who are serving the public and helping fight this terrible pandemic every day,” said Howard.

By A.J. Hecht

A.J. Hecht is the managing editor of THE SHOP and host of the In Gear with THE SHOP podcast. Have an idea, a tip, or a question you’d like to see answered? Contact A.J. at ahecht@cahabamedia.com.