Some say that a car is like your second home. If it is, then just like your home, you’d like it to be clean and smelling fresh. I mean, who wants to come home to a house that stinks, right? Same thing applies to your car. So how do you go about ensuring that your car smells like it just came out of the shower? Well, here are some tips from Kicking Tires that might help you out:

Bag your clothes – In case you just came from the beach or from practice, make it a point to bag your wet or used clothes. That way, it won’t incur mildew and at the same time stink up your car. Plastic bags are recommended but only for short rides. For the occasional long one, bring a duffel bag but make sure you get it cleaned right after so the smell doesn’t stay.

Leave the windows open – While you’re A/C gives you cooler air, it does have a tendency to keep the smell circulating inside. Leaving your windows open allows the inside of your car to breathe and expel any stench inside. That my friend, is where we let natural air do its job of getting rid of any unimaginable stench lingering inside your car.

Get stain-resistant seat covers – During long trips (and even during short ones), we can’t avoid having a meal inside our car. While it’s a good way to manage your time, the problem with this is that the food and drink you’re enjoying may end up spilling over your seat covers. Keeping them unclean can cause you to inhale something you’d wish you’ve never smelled at all. So to make it easier for you to maintain and keep your seats clean, go for this type of seat cover.

Get a car freshener – This one I just added to the mix. Just like perfumes, a car freshener can help add a sweet aroma and counter the effects of bad smell currently entering your nostrils. It’s readily available in all automobile shops and practically doesn’t require any type of installation.

Bring a trash bag – this is in relation to tip # 3. If you enjoy eating in your car, make sure you have a bag to stash away your trash. Also, make sure that it’s sealed tight to keep its contents from spilling out.

Make sure you’re clean – I know we’re talking about making sure that the insides of your car smells fresh and clean but in case you’ve got all the things above covered and your car still smells, you might have to check if you’re the problem. Maybe the shirt you’re wearing got stuck up in the closet for too long or the perfume you’re wearing just isn’t cutting it. Either way, make sure you’re smelling fresh and clean before stepping in your car.

So there you have it. At least the next time you go on the road, you’ll know what to do to help keep your car clean and prevent your passengers from hurling or fainting at the same time.

Source: Kicking Tires