How To Keep Your Car Smelling Fresh While Road Tripping

The road trip. It's the American vacation. Load the kids and the coolers into the minivan, strap the luggage on top, and set off into the beautiful sunshine for two weeks of relaxation and togetherness. It's how millions of college students get back and forth from home, and how many spend their breaks and weekends. After a few hundred miles, though, the funk starts to kick in. Food aromas begin to stagnate in the upholstery. About 300 miles in someone decides that smoking out the window is easier than stopping every 45 minutes. Trash litters the floor, and a half empty coffee cup is stuck in the holder by a layer of sludge. The last time Junior pumped gas, he dripped it down the side of the car, then mopped it off with his shirtsleeve. How can you combat this onslaught of odoriferous nastiness? Here are some tips on how to help you get through your next road trip.

It's important to be prepared before you even leave on your trip. With a few basic supplies you can keep your vehicle fresh and odor free.

• Purchase a car air freshener, a couple of rolls of paper towels, a box of small trash can liners, a canister of cleaning wipes, and a bottle of fabric refresher (such as Febreze). You can use disposable plastic grocery bags in place of the liners. Keep these supplies in your vehicle at all times, so that you will be prepared for a spur of the moment road trip. Often car fresheners are initially very strong. If you find the scent too overwhelming, open the package and take the freshener only halfway out, then tuck it under the car seat. You can put it in a more conspicuous place if you need stronger freshening after a few days on the road.
• Try to establish a no smoking rule in the vehicle. If this proves impossible, do not use the car's ashtray. Instead, have the smoker use a disposable cup half filled with water, that can be covered when not in use and thrown out when you stop.
• Eat outside of the vehicle as much as possible. If you do eat inside, open the windows or circulate the air with the AC or heat. Put all wrappers in the trash bags, and dispose of the bags at every stop. Use the cleaning wipes to thoroughly clean out the cup holders, steering wheel, and all other plastic components of the vehicle, either when you finish eating or when you stop.
• Use the paper towels to clean up any fuel spills, and dispose of them properly at the gas station.
• When you stop at night, or will be out of the vehicle for a few hours, spritz the upholstery with the fabric refresher. This will help draw out any lingering odors.