Living in Filth for Five Years: How a Clean Car Cleared My Head

Okay, I don't think I could be an ounce more honest when I say that the interior of my car was DISGUSTING. Yeah, I have driven through the car wash once or twice during the five years that I have owned my CR-V, but I mainly let Mother Nature take the reins the majority of the time when it came to the exterior. However, I don't think I've shown the inside much love since I had been bestowed the vessel after getting my license at 17. 

I'm sure Andy can vouch when I say the inside of my car needed so much attention and care. Going to college and driving my friends around left my seats battered and worn, with the carpets stained and sullied. Having grown used to the distressed and cracked leather seats and gross looking carpet, I didn't mind the mess. To me, she (my car, Ophelia) was a place of comfort and relaxation. Yet, I didn't realize just how much the mess contributed to my every day stress. 

Climbing in my car to drive home after seven hours spent working on every stain, crack and mark felt alien. Was this really Ophelia? Her outer shine sparkled in the late sun, the coating of wax making her usual gold-green really stand out. The rims were as silver as I had ever seen them and the glass of the windows were practically invisible. And the inside? I don't think I have enough words to describe that transformation. From molding food found under my seats to a literal pile of rocks accumulating under the carpet, I never thought that the inside would look as good as it did-and still does. When I drive, I do so in a car that smells like new, with seats that are the same tan as the day she was purchased and with carpets that look fresh and soft. 

Just like the routine clean of a house, your car should be getting the same treatment. It's so easy to build up clutter and dirt in your vehicle without really realizing it. By the time you do, you'll wind up with a bigger headache than you already have. Yeah, life is so stressful, but cleaning your car can deliver a huge cathartic relief, take it from me. So, why go out and drive a brand new car off the lot, when you can save your arms, legs and savings by putting a little elbow grease into it yourself. With just a little love and some specialty products, you can keep what you have, but make it look brand new.