Bring Back That New Car Smell

Keeping the car clean during the school year is enough of a challenge -- but how about when school lets out? There are beach days, excursions to the water park, spontaneous rides to the ice cream stand.

Blink and your car is a landfill.

So here's how you head it all off at the vacation pass:

1. Take everything out of the car, including any car seats or boosters, even anything in your arm rest, door pockets and glove box. Sort through the detritus and toss all the junk. Getting rid of the crummy hair elastics, sticky candy wrappers and broken crayons feels good! Then only put back what you need, making sure to safely stow your registration and insurance papers. Put your ice scraper in the garage. When you're considering what to keep in the car, think about what you often need but can't find. Do you scramble for a pen? Digging for tissues or change for the toll? Keep these close at hand. Make a point not to store anything on the floor. Once that starts to disappear from view, it's all downhill from there.

2. Gather your supplies and detail your car. Take it to the car wash, vaccuum the carpeting and upholstery within a shred of its fabric, freshen up all the surfaces and make it sparkle. Spring for the mega-wash on the outside and a little "new car smell" tree, too. Why not?

3. Put a small plastic egg crate or cargo organizer in your backseat or trunk that contains a roll of garbage bags, handiwipes, paper towels, leather or upholstery wipes and swiffer pads. That way, when spills happen (and who hasn't watched in horror as an entire slushie tips over, emptying onto the backseat?), you'll actually be able to do something about it. At least at the next pitstop.

4. Be conscientous about what gets left behind -- even if you're the one doing the leaving. Anything you bring into the car has to exit with you, too. And kindly request the same from your passengers. The payoff comes when your boss says, "Hey, can you give me a ride?" and you don't feel like cringing.

Don't forget that Americans spend about as much time in their cars as they do in their living rooms -- and yet we hardly ever clean up. Cars cost a lot of money ... our big investments deserve to shine. It will feel nice to have a clean car when you set out on your summer adventures. Roadtrip!!

xoxox

LT