Taking your pet along with you for a car ride can be fun. You will also get to enjoy some companionship on your journey. However, you may notice a lot of mess, some fur, and odour left behind in the car afterwards. It can be challenging to keep your car clean when you have pets. It is best to take the time to prepare and clean up the car straight away. Here are a few tips on how to let your pets tag along on trips and still maintain a clean car:
Have a Cleaning Schedule
It would help to consider having a cleaning schedule to ensure your car is cleaned regularly. It is recommended to clean your car as soon as your pet gets out of the car. Leaving the hairs and odours in your car will make the mess worse with time.
You can vacuum the car’s interior, focusing on the areas the pet was to remove any fur or dirt that may be all over the car. You may have to wash out the odours from your car. It would help to use a car shampoo specifically designed to clean pet odours. Avoid using too much water on the cars’ interior to prevent mould growth. A wet vacuum will help remove the excess moisture. You can also use baking soda to remove odours from the car. You can sprinkle some baking soda solution on the floor and seats. Let it sit overnight, and then vacuum the interior. It would also help ensure your pet is kept clean before and after the trip.
Cover the Seats
If you plan on taking your pet on trips, it would be best to invest in seat covers for your car. You can also improvise and use a sheet. Water and stain-resistant fabric guard can also be applied to the interior. Remember, when going for car insurance, buying seat covers can reduce your premiums if you intend to get car insurance. So, when looking for insurance, compare car insurance providers to find the cover that best suits you and one that will reduce your premiums if you get seat covers for your car.
Covering the seats will help protect your car’s interior from pet fur and dirt. It will help prevent the fur and dirt from falling into areas that are hard to clean. It is also easier to remove the seat cover and clean them after the trip than to clean the entire interior.
Try to Keep Your Pet in a Single Area of the Car
Keeping your pet confined in one area of the car can make cleaning up later much easier. You can use a restraint or even a crate to keep your pet contained. It will help keep the dropped fur and dirt in just that part of the car. It is easier to control the mess in the car and limit any distractions in the car that may affect your driving. It will be safer to keep the pet contained so that you can fully focus on the road.
Prepare in Advance
You can never be too prepared when travelling with pets. It would help to keep a cleaning kit in the car. The kit should contain all the items you will need to keep your car and pet clean when travelling, such as paper towels, wipes, a carpet cleaner, and plastic bags.
It’s also important to make sure the dog can be trusted to be relatively stationary, or that you have a chaperone pay attention to them so your driving will be undistracted. Any car accident lawyer can tell you that a higher-than-acceptable number of collisions occur because of distracted driving, and some of these involve pets. It’s important not to put yourself in harm’s way.
It would also be best to factor in your pets when purchasing a car. You may opt for a car with leather or vinyl seats which are much easier to clean. You can also treat the fabric to make it more stain-resistant. It may also help invest in heavy-duty floor mats to protect the car’s carpet.
After taking your pet out on a ride, cleaning the car can be a challenging and time-consuming task. However, it is still manageable to keep your car in great condition. It would be best to accept the fur, odour, and dirt are part of owning a pet and find ways to deal with the mess efficiently.