Road Trippin’ In Style Without The Dirt Pile

Road trips are a great way to travel at a relaxed pace, ditch the cost of flights, and simply move at your own leisure. These types of trips will likely bring a sense of spontaneity and adventure…along with a bit of mess.

To enhance your driving experience, we have curated a list of practical tips for maintaining a clean vehicle while you’re on the road. Regardless of whether you’re traveling solo, with friends, or with your entire family, these valuable hacks will ensure your car remains fresh and tidy.

Staying Tidy While Packing and Unpacking

During road trips, it’s not uncommon for your car to become more messy than dirty. With limited space and long hours spent in the vehicle, it’s easy for clutter to accumulate. However, staying organized is an essential rule to follow on road trips.

Make your travel preparations easier by equipping yourself with containers and trunk organizers before your trip. These practical items will significantly simplify your life while you’re on the road. Whether you require plastic boxes for snacks, jars to store loose change, or organizers for keeping receipts in order, these versatile containers are true game-changers. 

Managing Trash Levels

Regardless of how much you try to prevent it, trash is inevitable, especially when spending extended periods of time inside a car. However, there are steps you can take to address this issue. To prevent trash from accumulating, it’s wise to dispose of it regularly. Rest areas, gas stations, and restaurants provide excellent opportunities to stretch your legs and discard your trash bags, keeping your car clean and tidy.

A convenient solution for managing trash during road trips is to pack a sufficient number of bags before embarking on your journey. Whether you opt for a dedicated car trash bag or simply repurpose recycled bags from the store, ensure they are easily accessible. Storing them in the glove compartment provides a designated place to dispose of your garbage, keeping your car organized and tidy throughout the trip.

Additionally, tissue boxes can serve as excellent containers for used tissues during road trips. Once a tissue box is finished, be sure to keep it and attach it to the new tissue box as a used tissue receptacle. This prevents the car floor from becoming littered with dirty tissues, helping to maintain a clean and tidy environment inside the vehicle.

Keeping The Floor Mats Clean

The cleanliness of your car begins the moment you enter it. While getting a little dirty is part of the road trip adventure, it doesn’t mean you have to bring dust or sand into your vehicle. Developing a simple habit, such as stomping your feet before getting back into the car, helps remove a significant amount of debris from your shoes and prevents it from getting onto your mats. This small practice goes a long way in maintaining a cleaner and more pleasant environment inside your car.

Periodically, it’s beneficial to remove the car mats and give them a thorough shake. Although it may not be a deep cleaning, this simple action helps in maintaining a hygienic car environment. Additionally, shaking the mats reduces the amount of dust particles in the car, ensuring you breathe cleaner air while driving. It’s a quick and effective way to keep your car fresh and minimize dust buildup.

Avoiding A Messy Trunk

During road trips, it’s common to stash various items in the trunk and forget about them until later. However, sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with the clutter.

To avoid the frustration of a messy trunk, it’s advisable to designate a specific place for miscellaneous objects. By using a storage caddy, you can ensure that road trip essentials like brake fluid and motor oil won’t spill or roll around during sharp turns. Additionally, a caddy serves as an easy storage solution for your car cleaning kit, including items like wipes and a handheld vacuum. These practical bins encourage frequent clean-ups and help maintain a tidier and more organized trunk space.

Keeping It Fresh

Maintaining a fresh and clean-smelling car is an essential aspect of car cleanliness, or at least the perception of it. By utilizing a durable and reliable car air freshener, you can ensure that your car always smells pleasant. Even if it’s not impeccably clean, air fresheners are an effective hack that tricks your brain into feeling more comfortable during your road journeys.

However, air fresheners alone can’t do the entire job. It’s crucial to avoid strong odors that can linger in your car, such as smoke or food. Steering clear of drive-thru restaurants is also important to prevent unpleasant odors from accumulating in your car. Although convenient, drive-thru food leaves behind lingering smells that are challenging to eliminate and can become overwhelming over time.

Driver’s Auto Mart

You can implement all of these hacks after going for a cruise in any of our road trip-ready vehicles at Driver’s Auto Mart. We sell a diverse range of vehicles from several different brands like Chevy, Toyota, Chrysler and more.

Check out our online new car inventory to see all that we have to offer. Then, chat with any of our representatives for more information and assistance.

Photo Source/Copyright: Shutterstock via photo contributor CC7