It’s interesting that someone’s ability to be organised and clean doesn’t always match up with how they treat the interior of their car. Of course, this is understandable to a degree. If you’re always on the go, constantly awash with papers from your job (not everything is digital these days!) or you put many miles in over the week, the interior of your vehicle can easily build up with random items and possessions you no longer need.
Over time, this can turn into a mess. It may frustrate you if your partner’s vehicle is like this. You may dread driving the car, getting into the vehicle with them, or having the same conversations you’ve had dozens of times before about how they need to keep up with their car hygiene.
We’ve recently published an excellent guide to the purpose and benefits of maintaining your vehicle, but what about nailing the interior trim and keeping this space clean? Moreover, what about implementing methods to help your partner properly keep up with this habit that seems to evade them?
In this post, we’ll explore all of that:
Implement Fixtures They Want To Take Care Of
Sometimes it’s easy for a person to mistreat their car interior because they just don’t care about it that much outside of a tool. That’s fine, the car doesn’t have to be 100% clean at all times and they don’t need to wax it for four hours each weekend, but if you can inspire a little love in the vehicle for them, then they’re more likely to care for it. Hey, perhaps they can teach you in kind, such as how to polish your office shoes more readily each week.
With that in mind, a gift can be a nice idea. Investing in high-quality car floor mat options, for example, not only protects the flooring but can give the vehicle a nice look that feels a lot better than stock. When they see how much better the car feels with well-chosen fixtures, they’re likely to take pride in maintaining it. Of course, you can also use smaller options, like a steering wheel cover they love or seat covers that feel luxurious. It’s a nice way to help remind them of the space and why it deserves to be cared for, at the very least for their guests.
Bulk Buy Car Fresheners
Often, the quickest way to make a car feel fresh is… well, to make it smell fresh. If you stock up on car fresheners in bulk, there’s always a backup when the scent starts to fade and your partner can just grab one from the box when they need it. It’s a small addition that can make a big difference, as no one likes stepping into a car that smells like last week’s takeout, and we can often be ignorant to the smell if we’ve put in hundreds of miles in the last few days (especially because fewer people crack their window in winter except to reduce condensation).
Of course, pick a scent they’ll actually enjoy. Maybe it’s something light and clean like ocean breeze or something cozy like vanilla. Christmas is almost here and so nice spiced apple and other variants can be worthwhile. Subtle is better than overpowering, but as long as they like it, it’ll do the trick. Once the car smells good, it’s easier to want it to look good too.
Secure A Small Interior Trash Bin
You’d think this one would be obvious, but so many people skip it, only to end up with a pile of receipts and wrappers stuffed into the door pockets. A small trash bin that fits in the car can be a nice little addition and can easily fit somewhere easy, like behind the main seats or as an attachment near the passenger seat chair.
It’s so much easier to toss trash into a bin than to let it collect on the floor, and if they have a space to fit that, then all of a sudden a thousand coke cans don’t have to attack you when opening one of the doors. Once it’s part of the routine, it’ll become second nature, and the car will feel so much better for it.
Give Them Organizational Boxes
As we mentioned in the intro, some people have a good amount of papers and resources they need to transport daily. For instance, a schoolteacher might have a huge stack of exercise books and other resources they use to teach with. You might purchase your loved one a set of boxes that fit well in their trunk/boot and can be used to segment them. That way seats don’t have to be taken up and there’s always space to manage them with comfort.
If they have easy handholds and secure lids, they can also be carried to and from the workplace when needed without necessarily needing to organize everything in the car park/parking lot. They don’t need to be super expensive, just a stack of crates can be useful and provide a little worth here.
Meal Prep With Non-Messy Food
One of the most obvious contributors to car mess is that of fast food wrapping and bags. This can stock up, especially if you drive a lot for work or commute a fair amount. Instead of us nagging our partners about it, we could always help them come up with a worthwhile meal prep plan.
A small cooler box in the car can keep lunch fresh throughout the day, while making a few meals that aren’t messy can allow them to eat in their car with comfort. Then they can simply place the goods back in the box ready to be washed up later.
There are all kinds of meals perfect for car eating, and while we won’t list them all here, there are many excellent guides online. Just keep in mind their allergies of course, and try to keep the meals light so they don’t feel lethargic behind the wheel. It’s a nice contribution to your loved one.
With this advice, we hope your partner can feel incentivized to keep their car in good condition but without the arguments or nagging that can sometimes cause!
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