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Fast-food scent not your vibe? Keep your car smell and mess-free while you feast
Expert tips for enjoying meals on the go without leaving your ride with that lingering 'takeout bag' aroma.
I'm a huge fan of road-tripping, and as a former car journalist, I've embarked on more than my fair share of them both in the U.S. and abroad, sometimes averaging more than 1,000 miles a day. On a recent trip, I drove from Sacramento to Moab in one day — an 850ish-mile journey total. When you have to drive that many miles on limited time, eating in the car isn't a choice; it's a necessity. And you don't want your car to smell like McDonalds as a result.
Thankfully, in my time on the road, I've learned more than a few tips and tricks for chowing down while behind the wheel. With a bit of know-how and some tried-and-true gadgets, you, too, can feast in the driver's seat.
Choose your food wisely
When it comes to choosing what you eat in the car, whether you're a driver or passenger, you should make smart (i.e. less messy) decisions — leave the nachos, pasta and barbecue at home. And while there's no law specifically prohibiting eating and driving in the United States, as tempting as it might be to scarf that Big Mac behind the wheel, it doesn’t mean it’s the smartest — or safest — choice. The 5 to 10 minutes it'll take to eat your meal in the parking lot is worth stopping for. Even better, stop for fuel and fuel yourself at the same time. Multitasking for the win.
Keep food off your seats (and the floor)
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, try and use this try while driving. I shouldn't have to mention that, but here we are. While some vehicles come from the factory with trays like this that allow you to eat and work from the driver's seat, most do not. That's where this handy, under-$10 device comes in. Attach it to your steering wheel, and you’ve got a tray larger than the one I balanced a meal on during my last flight.
Chicken nuggets are a great in-car fast food meal. They're high in protein, low(ish) in carbs, easy to eat and generally mess-free. But eat them without sauce? Only heathens would do that. Thankfully, some geniuses came up with this great invention (the greatest invention?): The Saucemoto. This dip clip attaches to the air vent in your car, conveniently putting your bbq, ranch, ketchup — whatever sauce you like, right at prime dipping height, so you won't have to take your eyes off the road to look and see where your sweet and sour went.
Love your Hydro Flask but don't love holding it between your thighs while driving? This car cup holder expander is the solution you've been waiting for. It includes an adjustable dual cup holder, with a standard 3" upper holder and a 4" lower one that's designed to accommodate the most popular water bottles from brands like Hydro Flask, Nalgene, Camelbak and Klean Kanteen. (The viral Stanley Quencher is famously designed with a narrow base to fit into most cup holders, even without this kind of add-on.)
For the snackmasters, it includes a removable tray with a surface area of over 60 square inches and a weight limit of 40 pounds, so you can fit even the most super-sized fast-food meals easily. The tray swivels 360 degrees so you can put it in a position that's safe and comfortable, even if you need to eat lunch behind the wheel.
No matter how careful you are, accidents happen. Thanks to this No. 1 bestselling gap filler, the next time you drop a nugget or fry, you won't have to worry about it falling into the black hole between your seat and the center console.
Bring your lunch (or dinner)
The easiest way for me to make sure I am eating well is to skip the fast food and meal prep my lunches a week at a time. But unless you drive an RV the odds are your car won't have a microwave. Thankfully, there are a few gadgets that'll keep your food warm for you until lunchtime.
Eating fast food or gas station food isn't ever the healthiest option, not to mention the easiest on your wallet. But sometimes a cold salad or sandwich in winter doesn't hit the spot either. That's where this portable food heater comes in. Plug it into the outlet in your car and your lunch will stay hot until the moment you scarf it down. The latches and easy-to-carry bag make sure there aren't any spills either.
Don't want to bother with keeping something plugged in all day to keep it warm? This Thermos insulated bottle is a tried and true product if ever there was one. As long as you're an accurate pourer, or better yet, pour your soup outside of your vehicle, it'll remain mess-free. No guarantees if you choose to pour right before a speed bump.
Keep your car clean
Just because you eat meals in your car doesn't mean it has to smell like the Burger King drive-thru. Keep a couple of these items around and your next passenger will never know your car is also your own personal food court. Want your car to smell better than ever? Check out this article on how to make your car smell five-star hotel fresh.
Trash stinks. Literally. Keep it all in one place with this small yet feature-filled trash can. A water- and leak-proof design means you don't need to worry about anything icky dripping onto your floor mats, it's easy to empty (which you should do often to avoid unwanted odors) and its liner is removable and machine washable. Alternatively, you can use this as an in-car organizer for accessories and other supplies.
Once everything is vacuumed up and (most importantly) dry, sprinkle baking soda around the interior of your car. Or — even better — try sprinkling some of this activated charcoal. Charcoal is full of millions of microscopic pores in each piece that attract and absorb moisture and odors. Plus, since charcoal is mostly carbon, it's great at soaking up organic compounds (i.e. stinky food smells).
Sprinkle it around the entire interior, leave it overnight and vacuum it up in the morning. Your vehicle should be an odorless, blank canvas for introducing fresher-smelling scents.
Just because you eat in the car doesn't mean it has to smell like a drive-thru. This No. 1 bestselling wooden air freshener features a handy clip that fastens the wooden block to your visor. The Drift has a more sophisticated look than typical car freshers, and its scents follow suit — it comes in a variety of long-lasting fragrances, including Amber, Apple Orchard, Cabana, Grove, Open Air, Pine and Teak. Each sustainably produced block lasts about 30 days; once it's ready to be replaced (or you just feel like trying a different scent) you just pop the magnetic wooden block off of the visor clip and swap in a new one.
