5 Steps to Prep Your Car for Passengers

Traveling in your car can be a fun way to spend time with friends and family. Sometimes traveling with passengers is a necessity, or maybe it’s a road trip. These 5 steps will help you and your car be prepared for any travel time with passengers.

1. Give your vehicle a thorough deep cleaning. A clean vehicle inside and out makes it not only look better but also can make it drive better. That’s right! Dirt builds up on the exterior and it can affect the “smoothness” of your vehicle as you drive. A lot of road debris and dirt in the air collects on and under your car. When you know you’re going to have passengers, whether it’s a routine trip or a road trip with friends it will be worth it to pay some extra attention to the interior and exterior. As vehicles tend to do, they can get quite dusty and even collect odors during your daily travels. Just routine driving to and from work or running errands can create an accumulation of odors. Think of all that happens in your vehicle; most people drink coffee and eat snacks as they travel about, and if you have kids or pets, well that’s a whole other story. 
2. Get some accessories. The inside of your vehicle can really get worn over time. Whether it’s your floor mats, car seats or cup holders, these are items which sometimes need some help. It’s simple enough to clean or replace the mats, and get some seat covers if your seats are worn, and invest in cup holders if your car has none for passengers. Also, while traveling the sun can really warm up the interior of your car, window screens to block the sun can help keep passengers comfortable. These accessories are a great way to keep everyone happy during your travels. 
3. Do a safety check. Safety is important, not only for the driver but also for the passengers. In fact it’s the driver’s responsibility to keep the passengers as safe as possible. It’s good to occasionally perform a basic safety check on essential safety features. Check that the seat belts are working properly and be aware of any defective airbags. Ensuring your passengers well-being while traveling in your vehicle is an easy but vital task for obvious reasons. 
4. Routine Maintenance. This is important even if not carrying passengers. It’s never fun to have something go wrong like a flat tire and not be prepared. Just basic routine maintenance checks like making sure you have a good spare will help avoid a major inconvenience. Check your tire pressure since you’ll have more weight in your car. Be sure your AC/heating system is functioning properly, as no one needs to freeze or get overheated while traveling.
5. Extra water and snacks. Depending on the passengers, whether it’s your kids and their friends or it’s some of your adult friends, having extra beverages or snacks can help to avoid extra stops especially if you’re on a long road trip. Bring a variety of road-friendly snacks and beverages, and be sure to have a small travel size trash container so your vehicle can stay tidy. 

At Flagstop Car Wash our services make it easy to keep your car clean and comfortable. Our unlimited washes with the RVA Wash Club gives you the freedom to bring your vehicle to any of our convenient locations as often as you need for one monthly fee. We provide vacuums, floor mat cleaning and other services you’ll need to keep your vehicle clean. We look forward to seeing you soon.