We all wish we had a nicer car (apart from Jeremy Clarkson who already has one) so I’m going to tell you the secret to improving your car. De-clutter it. Yes, it really is that simple.
Clutter makes any car look awful. Whether you have a Mini, a Mondeo, or a Mercedes; any car will look better if it’s clean and uncluttered.
Start with the stickers
Bumper stickers, window stickers, even windscreen stickers; they have to go. You start with one and then your collection grows, until before you know it you have a forest of them and can hardly see out of your windows. Radio station stickers, charity stickers, ‘I heart NY’ stickers, ‘baby on board’ stickers, ‘my other car is a Jag’ stickers; there’s no end to them and they have to go. They’re not funny and they’re not clever. They clutter up your car, distract other drivers, and hinder your vision when driving. Peel them off and ditch them pronto.
Ditch the Danglers
Next get rid of anything that dangles. Nothing is more irritating than things that dangle in your face while you’re driving. Furry dice, air fresheners, cuddly toys; you’re not a baby in a cot needing to be amused. You’re driving and you’re supposed to be concentrating on that. But it’s not easy with a furry die swinging to and fro in your peripheral vision! Not only that but it looks cluttered. Car designers would have included them as standard if they thought they improved the look or handling of the car. They didn’t because they don’t. Give them away to some other poor sucker.
Empty Your Pockets
Check your pockets next. If they’re anything like mine then your family have been secretly filling your car side pockets with sweet wrappers, used tissues, small change, blunt pencils and dead batteries. This collection does nothing to enhance the look of your car and means there’s no room to store stuff that could actually be useful. Clear it all into a plastic bag and dispose of it all indoors in the bin.
Focus Downwards
The floor of your car tends to attract mud, dead leaves and twigs, along with overspill from the pockets. Leaflets from all the places you’ve ever visited can also collect here, along with all sorts of missing items that have hidden themselves under the car seats and mats. So that’s where that umbrella, banknote, mobile phone… went. Restore items to their proper homes and throw away the rubbish.
Look Behind You
Your car boot is a treasure trove of useless deitrus. Here you will tend to find car manuals, petrol cans and car tools; which could all be useful if they weren’t buried underneath the packaging from your last meal at McDonalds, some folding chairs and a pile of old newspapers. If you empty the boot and only put back the useful things, by which I mean the things you actually use, then you will find yourself using less petrol too as the car will be lighter.
A Clean Sweep
Now you’ve got rid of the clutter, the junk and the rubbish from your car it will already look better. Give it the finishing touch in its makeover by giving it a thorough clean. Sweep and vacuum the floors inside, brush the upholstery and surface clean if necessary.
Don’t Forget The Outside
I driving behind a BMW the other day which was so dirty that the number plate was obscured; when I got closer to it I could just make out through the grime that it was a personalized plate. Now there is someone who buys a good make of car, splashes out for a special number plate, and then can’t be bothered to keep it clean. They may as well have been driving an old banger for all the good it did them!
To avoid this mistake wash and wax the outside of your car thoroughly, either by hand or at a car wash. This would also be a good time to get any little scratches or dents attended to.
Now your transformation is complete. You have improved your car and made it look neater, cleaner and classier. You will feel better, give a better impression to anyone who sees you and if you offer anyone a lift, you will have a car you can be proud to own.
