7 Tips to Keep your Car Clean on a Road Trip

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Tonya Prater, Owner

A 2018 Ohio Travel Leadership Academy graduate, Certified Travel Ambassador, published author, and founder of the "Day Trips in Ohio" private Facebook group, Tonya is a former full-time RVer and aspiring van camper who balances her time between traveling with her husband's job, cherishing moments with her grandkids, and plotting her next road trip.

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LoveAmericanHome #CollectiveBias

In July, I embarked on a 6,500 mile road trip with my husband. No, that is not a typo. We really did drive SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED MILES from our home in Ohio to the coast of Oregon, south into California and back to Ohio. And get this, we did it for fun. On our 23^rd wedding anniversary.

It was an incredible trip. I met friends that I’ve talked to online for years, but never met in person.

We tent camped for the first time in 13 years and the first time alone as a couple, ever.

We saw incredible roadside attractions and historic and natural park sites like Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone and the Redwoods.

We spent hours walking on the beaches along the Oregon Coast and I found sand dollars! Something I’ve always dreamed of.  It was an amazing trip.

Our road trip also had moments that were unpleasant.

We drove a lot. Six thousand miles. Duh.

We got pulled over. Um. Yeah. That.

We got lost. Darn GPS.

The first night we pitched our tent at nearly midnight, we couldn’t get the tent door zipped and slept with it open, fearing that a wild animal would venture inside.

We drove into the wee hours of the morning to miss getting stopped in road construction only to get stuck the next morning in, you guessed it, road construction.

I almost peed my pants in Yellowstone when we couldn’t find a bathroom that didn’t have extremely long lines.

We drove into a horrible storm, couldn’t find a hotel room and slept in the car in the parking lot of Walmart, rocking in the wind while the sky was filled with thunder and lightning.

We missed our children.

But all those minor disturbances add up to some great stories, right?

Road trips are not a foreign concept to my family. If we have the time and it’s an option, we’ll road trip nine times out of ten to our destination. In addition to having plenty of space for everyone and everything we’ve packed in the car, over the years I’ve learned how important to keep your vehicle clean and smelling fresh while traveling for a comfortable trip.

As the fast food bags began to pile up at my feet, I began to wish that I’d followed my “Keep the Car Clean” rules that I enforce when traveling as a family and that I’d bought fragrance for the car.

It really isn’t difficult to keep the car picked up when you travel. And since we often use rental cars during our road trips, it’s important when the trip is over the car doesn’t require a ton of clean-up and care before we drop it off. I mean who wants to spend hours cleaning out the car or incur additional cleaning fees? Not I!

Here are a couple really easy steps to keeping your vehicle clean on a road trip.

This short video walks you through the steps I take to keep our vehicle picked up on the road.

Tips to keep your car clean on a road trip. #LoveAmericanHome #ad

A video posted by Tonya Prater (@travelermom) on Aug 14, 2015 at 12:28pm PDT

1. Don’t eat in the car.

Nearly 100% of our mess in the car stems from eating in the car. But honestly, on long road trips, is it practical to NOT eat in the car? For us, it is not. Read on.

2. Keep a Trash Bag in your car.

Before we leave on a trip, I make sure that I’ve placed a few plastic grocery store bags or brown paper bags in the car. Make sure everything goes in the trash- from the fast food trash to the tiny gum wrapper.

3. Each time you stop at a gas station to fill up, take a couple minutes to tidy up the car.

Toss out the trash you’ve bagged up and wipe down the steering wheel, dash and seats (if they’re leather) with a wet wipe (baby wipes work well for this). Especially if you’re traveling through dusty climates.

4. If you’re traveling with children, store their items in a bin or backpack.
5. Before you get in the car, make sure you stomp off your feet.

Especially if you’ve spent time on the beach.

6. Keep all your receipts in a designated space.

I keep all my receipts. In the past, I’ve tossed them in my purse or stashed them out of sight in the glove box, but those receipts add up over time. I keep an organizer in the glove box and one above my visor so I can store my receipts and tally up expenses at the end of the trip.

7. Don’t forget your favorite car fragrance.

It’s not enough that your car look clean. When you’re on a nearly two-week cross-country road trip, you want your car to smell clean too.

You’ll find a selection of odor neutralizing air fresheners or vent clips at Walmart in the Air Care or Automotive Care aisles for under $5. I popped into my Walmart SuperCenter and found a selection of new Yankee Candle® products that are perfect for those on the go.

The new Smart Scent™ Vent Clip is an odor-neutralizing unit that fastens securely to any vehicle’s dash vent. Fragrance is released as the air flows from the vent and is easily adjusted by using the slider at the back of the clip.

Think of the Car Jar® Ultimate as a mini Yankee Candle® for on-the-go. It also neutralizes unpleasant odors while it freshens the air in your car. The finest premium-quality ingredients infused with natural essential oils are used to create four “true-to-life” scents. Dreaming of an exotic island escape? Try Pink Sands™, a mix of bright citrus, sweet florals, and spicy vanilla. Like the scent of freshly laundered clothes with a hint of green notes, white flowers, and lemon? Try Clean Cotton®. Macintosh gives the fragrance of a just picked apple while  MidSummer’s Night® offers a more masculine blend of musk, patchouli, sage and mahogany cologne.

These new Yankee Candle® brand products are only available at Walmart so don’t forget to pop in and check them out.

Are you ready for your next road trip? What tips do you practice to keep your vehicle clean on the road? What is your favorite Yankee Candle® brand fragrance?