Tired of Driving a Dirty Car? Listen Up.
Do you feel embarrassed from all the trash whenever a friend asks you for a ride? Does getting something out of your backseat require carefully navigating a pool of mystery stains? Has a family of vicious possums taken up residence in your backseat because of all the garbage there?
Okay, that last thing might be a bit hyperbolic, but there are plenty of real benefits to keeping the inside of your car clean. Nobody enjoys driving inside a messy car, and any buildup of trash, dirt, or grime has the potential to turn a stressful commute into a downright sickening one. To that end, here are several things to keep in mind for keeping your car clean, starting with:
Don't Eat Inside
Do yourself, your car, and your stomach a favor by trying to eat outside of your car whenever possible. Even if you're careful about getting rid of all of your wrappers and food containers, eating in your car will still inevitably lead to crumbs and other loose bits of food ending up in your carpets and the cracks between your seats. This piece of advice feels like it should go without saying, but even the best among us occasionally succumb to the temptation of a quick car snack.
As an added benefit, you'll enjoy food more when you stop eating it at stoplights. After all, who's ever looked at a burger and thought: "Do you know what would make this better? If I was frantically trying to scarf it down before a light changes while a 4x4 revs its engine behind me for some reason."
Think About What's on Your Feet BEFORE You Get In
We've all had that moment when we've hopped into our cars before realizing that our shoes are COVERED in some Colorado winter slush. Given how slushy, muddy, and dusty the state can be for a solid eight months out of the year, your car will thank you for checking your shoes before you get inside. Just like eating in your car, this is an easy thing to do subconsciously but it pays off to be a little mindful.
If you need help remembering to knock your shoes off ahead of getting in your car, just imagine that your car's carpets are the freshly mopped linoleum floor in your mother-in-law's kitchen. Once you stop hyperventilating at the thought of tracking dirt in, you should be good to go.
Don't Forget Your Cupholders
For whatever reason, cupholders seem to attract trash and loose objects in a way that no other part of the car does. Maybe it's the result of careful subliminal engineering from car manufacturers, or maybe it's just because the shape of cupholders can resemble mini-trash cans when you're in a hurry. Either way, once you stop using cupholders like mini trash cans, your car will be a lot cleaner for it.
This goes for leaving cups in the cupholders for extended periods too, especially if the beverage inside has reached that mostly-empty-except-for-melted-ice cube-water stage. If you wouldn't drink out of it, you might as well take it out of your car.
Take Trash (and Other Stuff!) With You When You Leave
If you're noticing a running theme here, it's because there is one: don't leave trash in your car! Of course, this applies to much more than just beverage containers and food wrappers. To that end, try to take any loose objects with you whenever you leave your car. This doesn't just mean empty cans and used tissue (although you should always take those with you!); it can also mean taking loose papers books or unused charger cables.
The more stuff that piles up in your backseat, the more obnoxious your car will be to clean, so you can save yourself some grumbles by being proactive now. If you don't need to keep something in your car, make a point of taking it with you when you get out. As a bonus, this decreases the chances of stuff getting damaged by rolling around in the backseat. After all, have you ever looked at something and thought: "The perfect place to store this is in a pile in my backseat"?
Trust the Pros
No matter how proactive you are about keeping your vehicle clean, it will get dirty. That's nothing to be ashamed of! Whether it's the results of a long road trip, a particularly dusty hike, or just a week of really stressful work commutes, you'll eventually find yourself needing to vacuum your seats and shampoo your carpets. When that time comes, there's no substitute for choosing a full-service car wash. Doing so saves you some major headaches while cleaning AND ensures a deeper clean than you'd get by just doing it yourself!
It's important to note that you should choose a full-service car wash specifically. While other car washes might have cleaning options, they're not going to be as reliable or thorough as a full-service wash, even though they'll likely cost the same amount. A place like Denver Waterworks will be able to restore that new car sheen to the interior of your car, and you shouldn't accept anything less when it comes time to clean it!
What steps do you take to keep your car clean? Sound off in the comments.
