How long after you have purchased a new vehicle do you keep people from eating, drinking and or smoking in it so preserve the "New car smell"?

If they thought for one minute they could do that, they would be walking however long I had the car :-/

Once I get the interior of my car redone,I won’t allow it.No farting either

Nobody smokes in my car anyway (not even me when I was smoking) but as for the rest? It’s a car, not a valuable antique. It’s for getting me from Point A to Point B hopefully in the most efficient way possible with some comfort.

I have never purchased a new car.

I have never owned a car but I do know none of my friends wanted to smell the new cars so we started to make a lot of things inside so that smell could wear of faster.

We, my husband and I, almost never eat or drink in my car. Exceptions are very long trips. A long trip would be 3+ hours, or very hot days we might keep a bottle of water in the car if we think we might get thirsty, but for a simply trip to the store I would never bother. Neither of us grew up eating or drinking in our cars, and we basically don’t do it as adults. Our cars do smell new for years according to friends who get in for a drive. But, we don’t do it to keep the car smelling new really, we do it because why does everyone need food or drink attached to their hand or mouth all day long? Driving less than hour you have to have something? Why? I never understood it. Why risk the spill? Grease on the fabric? Even when we travel we usually get out of the car and eat. Take a break from the driving.

A few months. But it is to preserve the interior of the car’s appearance not the smell, which is carcinogenic.

@JLeslie : Quick explanation for you…sometimes when you have children and are trying to get everything done at once in a day, staying hydrated and fed means eating and drinking in the car. There are days when the 15 minutes for a bite are only available in the car.

It wouldn’t even occur to me to try to preserve the “new car smell”. I would allow people to eat and drink providing they were careful. I would never let anyone smoke in my car, no matter what.

I actually really dislike the “new car smell” and I’ve never owned a car, but I probably wouldn’t want people to eat/drink/smoke in my car to keep it looking in good condition.

I’m not fussy about stuff like that. And I rarely buy new cars. It’s a more sound to buy a late model used car (such as one coming off a lease), than to buy new. Though the economy has forced the price of used cars higher lately, and the advantage of buying used isn’t as great as it was a few years ago. Plus, DMV regulations are forcing people to buy older cars that don’t have “Check Engine” lights.

Car dealers actually spray their cars with “new car smell” before putting them on the lot. The “natural” new car smell would ware off within a matter of weeks, and that’s counting time sitting on the lot.

When I got my new car last February I was pretty strict about the no eating in the car. I tutor an autistic boy and drove him 45 minutes every day I work with him so that was a bit problematic, but it prolonged the cleanliness of the car. Now, almost 7 months in, I allow eating in the car, but I’m still pretty anal about keeping it clean. (the new car smell wore off within probably 2 months)

No smokers in my vehicles. But once I fart in there then the new car ship has sailed for good. I clean the insides out 2 maybe 3 times a year to pick out the change, brass , and old fries and I’m good. I’m just not that anal about it.

I’ll spend hours picking all the crud out the nooks and cranny’s of my guns till they look new because to me it’s not drudgery. Cleaning cars…drudgery big time.

@JilltheTooth I so feel you ^^

I don’t care about the new car smell. I never let anyone eat or drink anything in my car other than water (and it must have a lid on it). I can’t stand dirty cars, and I can’t afford to get mine cleaned if there was a spill.

For me, it’s not so much about preserving the new car smell as I hate clutter and yuck in my cars.

One new car I bought had washable floor covers, and wipe-off leather seats. I bought washable, cloth seat pads to avoid sticking to the leather. This was during the time between kids, when Hubby and I lived alone with my dog. My dear, sweet dog chewed up the leather seats like they were doggy chew toys, when we left her in the car while eating out. I then covered them with duct tape, and bought full seat covers.
The dog was long passed when I got my next car.

I try to cover every surface of new cars with washable covers, and throw them in the laundry every other month or so. For my next car, I bought some delightful corduroy fabric which I cut to fit the floor, with overlaps. The pieces are roughly four feet long, and can fit in my washer with no problem. I purchased standard plastic floor covers to put over them, which can be hosed off.

I bought some washable seat covers and put a seat protector pad under the child seats, which are both covered with removable, washable pads.

@JilltheTooth Ok, I can see if a child gets out of school and goes directly to a class they might need a snack in the car, I am completely on board with that. But, I think a large part of eating in cars is adults. Of course at times adults also only get a chance to eat while driving, but many people drink their coffee on the way to work, not necessary in my opinion, or always have a coke in their car. It has nothing to do with rushing half the time I am thinking. When I was a kid, and I had piano lessons and ballet class and tennis lessons and art class and ice skating (not all at once, just saying I did things outside of school) we did not eat in the car. I guess I just question how much it really is necessary. The same way I question why everyone has to have a drink in their hand at a party or bar, or dance floor (the dance floor really pisses me off, in many clubs where I grew up that was not allowed in the bars or smoking on the dancefloor) or everywhere they go, or must buy overpriced throw money on the street food for a two hour movie. I guess maybe I am suspicious about the real reason why so many people do eat and drink in their car (not including truly not having the time because of outside schedules).

You know German car makers finally added cup holders to their cars sold in American, after being told for years people really do look for that feature in America. Most European countries take driving very seriously, and see eating as a distraction from the road. Admittedly, children eating is not the same as the driver. When I was in Italy 19 years ago it was already law a person could not talk on the phone while driving. I like the idea of drivers being focused while on the road, driving and safety on the road. And, Europeans might also see a time and a place for everything not sure.

I know that all sounds a little high and mighty, I certainly have driven while on the phone many times, even put on lipstick while at a red light, and some other things, I am just saying ideally our attention is on the road.

No, @JLeslie , you misunderstood me. I was talking about me eating in the car. Some days were just so nuts that I literally would have to grab something on the run, and my meals were occasionally in the car. But then, to me, my car is a useful device, not a showpiece of some sort. Enjoy not eating your car. ”...because why does everyone need food or drink attached to their hand or mouth all day long? Driving less than hour you have to have something? Why?” Well, I answered why.

@JilltheTooth I accept your answer, regarding kids only having the small amount of time while in the car, or an adult. I am saying I think there are a whole bunch of people eating for eatings sake, not because it is their only option to be fed. I think it very often is habit. My husband is obsessed with a clean car, but I am not and my parents cars are practically trashed, books and papers everywhere, a jacket or sweater, stuff laying around, I come from a fairly messy family, but they just did not eat in the car.

No one will ever smoke in my car, but for the most part I don’t hang out with people who smoke. It’s disgusting, and if I wouldn’t put it in my car, I try not to hang out with them and put it in my lungs.

As far as food and drink, I don’t mind. I have a truck and it has vinyl flooring (new F-150) so all I gotta do is splash water on the floors to clean them. As far as the seats, there are REALLY good auto seat cleansers that will extract pretty much anything.

Plus kids aren’t usually in my car, so I’m probably the most likely person to spill anything if something will be spilled.

I don’t eat in my car, but I cannot turn my car on without a diet pepsi in the car with me. It doesn’t happen.

@chyna Is there always a diet Pepsi with you period? Or, just while driving.

@JilltheTooth I think @chyna is an example of what I mean by it being a simple habit.

@JLeslie Always with me. Attached to my hand. Surgically.

@chyna I hope this question does not offend you; are you, or people in your family alcoholics? Not that I think everyone who always has a drink with them is an alcoholic, I knew many a Tab drinkers back when I was little, who were just seemingly addicted to always having a Tab in their hand. But, I do think alcoholics tend to need to have something, drink, cig, whatever.

@JLeslie No offense taken, but no, no one in my family is an alcoholic. But I’m a diet pepsi aholic. None of us smoke either.

@chyna I used to be a Cocaholic, my mom is very brand loyal to Coke products. But, I never carried it around with me, just had some with almost every meal, and when I was randomly thirsty. Coke no ice, or maybe I should say neat, or straight up. LOL. I married my husband because he drinks his Coke no ice also.

People aren’t allowed to smoke in my car when the hood is up (I have a convertible.) but pretty much anything else goes. It isn’t a new car, but even if it was, I just don’t understand or take any enjoyment from meticulous cleanliness.

@athenasgriffin Cleanness is different than messiness. Food wrappers or grease on hands then fabric is very different to me than leaving papers in the car or having an extra jacket laying around. Not everyone who doesn’t eat in their car is meticulously neat. When I was a young child my bedroom was a wreck, but I don’t have a pizza box in it.

I guess my answer just made me realize that I treat my car like my house. I don’t want to stain anything. I actually will eat in my family room, but no drinks that are red or purple, except on special occasions. And, I don’t have to touch my sofa after eating a sandwich, like I would my steering wheel.

@chyna : Was the Pepsi-Attachment-Surgery very painful and/or expensive? I’m thinking of getting Coffee-Attachment-Surgery but it’s not covered by insurance. The real reason I stopped driving a stick; I had to put my coffee down at stop signs.

Haha. I just said on my Facebook that if everyone was still driving a stick shift in America we would have less trouble with texting while driving.

I second that….I LOVE sticks, why would anyone want to drive anything else?

@Hypocrisy_Central : I really miss it, but I switched up because a stick in NYC gridlock is beyond sucky…