It’s important to take care of our vehicles when they are parked for such a long time and also be prepared to handle any situation just in case, because getting external help is both risky and difficult in these times.
View PhotosHere’s a list of car accessories you must have during the lockdown period.
The prevailing COVID-19 situation has kept us homebound and our cars are again parked for a long while, thanks to the second wave of this deadly virus that has gripped India. Nevertheless, it’s also important to take care of our vehicles when they are parked for such a long time and also be prepared to handle any situation just in case, because getting external help is both risky and difficult. So here’s a list of few car accessories that you must have handy in these testing times.
Sanitisation Kit
A basic sanitisation kit is must in these times.
First up is the car sanitisation kit that essentially contains an alcohol base hand sanitiser, a disinfectant, a pair of gloves and few masks. While it’s pretty much obvious why you need the hand sanitiser and mask, the disinfectant can be regularly used on frequent touch-points of your car like door handles, wing mirrors, grab handles on the inside, steering wheel, gear knob, hand brake lever, switches and the touchscreen infotainment among others. Just a word of caution, make sure to turn off the air-conditioner of your vehicle before spraying the disinfectant as it’s hazardous. A fancier sanitisation kit may also include stuff like nano mist diffuser and safety touch key among others.
Air Purifiers
Modern air purifiers help fight against viruses.
While earlier air purifiers were developed to tackle the pollution levels in regions like Delhi-NCR or even Mumbai among others where the air quality index (AQI) is poor, now some of these air-purifiers that are FDA certified also have the capability to moderate the risk of virus spread inside a vehicle. While standard purifiers use fan and filter systems to trap large particles circulating through the air, these devices rely on a special UV-A light to break down the pollutants on a molecular level. A chemical reaction caused by the light destroys the particles once internal filters trap them, and what comes out is disinfected air.
Car Cover
Car covers will avoid people from frequently touching your vehicle.
Most of us are homebound due to the current situation and we step out only when absolutely necessary. In the meanwhile, our cars remain parked and the best way to avoid people frequently touching our cars is to cover them, thereby reducing the risk of virus spread through it.
Wheel Lock Clamp
Wheel lock clamps reduce the risk of theft.
Now it’s not advisable to keep the hand brakes of your car engaged if it’s been parked for a long while. The brake wire tends to block and your wheel movement won’t be as free when you resume. While you’re advised to engage the first gear while parked, the wheel lock clamp will give just that extra layer of safety ensuring your car doesn’t roll forward or the other way, along with reducing the risk of theft.
Air Pump
It’s better to check the tyre pressure when you resume after a long while.
Tyres tend to lose pressure if the car’s been stationary for too long. Electric air pumps are easily available online and you just need to plug it in to the 12-volt socket of your car, set presume limit and attach it to the tyre valve.
Puncture Repair Kit
Not many puncture repair shops are open in these times.
Finding a puncture repair shop at this point of time is a nightmare and if you’ve had one, it’s better to manage it all by yourself. Majority of the cars these days run on tubeless tyres and puncture repair kit is easily available online… In many cases, you don’t even need to unbolt the wheels to repair them.
Jump Cables
Jumps cables are saviour when our car’s battery runs out of charge and we are stuck.
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Yes! Another nightmare. Many of us could be in a situation where the battery runs out of power if the vehicle is parked for a long time. While it’s advisable to start the engine of your car at least once a week and keep it running for around 15 mins, it’s better to have jump cables handy as well just in case! Of course, one needs to know how to use jump cables as well.
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