Parents admit shame of letting friends in their car due to child-made mess

Almost half (41%) of drivers in the UK with children, more than 5.2 million¹, said they have felt too embarrassed to offer a friend a lift due to the mess in their car caused by their kids, research from Škoda has revealed.

It comes as children return to school after the long summer break, leaving parents to do the big clean-up. As well as wanting to keep the rubbish out of sight of their peers, 29% of parents were also keen not to let a relative get in the back of their car, while almost one in 10 (9%) said they wouldn’t want to park at work to avoid people seeing the state of it.

However, while many felt the embarrassment of their untidy cars, others saw it as a badge of honour. A quarter (25%) said they wouldn’t have it any other way, with more than a fifth (22%) saying that a messy or untidy car is proof the family has had a good time.

The sense of mess inside has led to 27% wanting to ban their children from getting in the car, and one in five (23%) admitting that the chaos caused had made them want to cry. But these reactions appear tame compared to the more than 1.12 million drivers pushed as far as thinking about scrapping their car.

The biggest culprit for mess is crisps. This is followed by drinks, with crumb-creating biscuits the third biggest mess-maker. It isn’t just food that creates chaos in the back of parents’ cars, with toy slime also featuring in the top 10.

While crisps were the most commonly spilt items, it wasn’t the hardest for parents to clean up, with that award going to drinks, followed by chocolates and then sweets.

To assist despairing parents, Škoda has teamed up with professional organiser and TV presenter, Dilly Carter, to guide and advise on how best to clean a messy car. Škoda also offers a number of Škoda Simply Clever features to help in the battle against the mess, including a rubbish bin that goes in the door pocket, boot organisers, and new screen cleaner for the touchscreen display in the Kodiaq and Superb.

Dilly Carter said: “When kids are involved our cars often end up messy and cluttered. From the kids eating food on the go, drink spillages, to all the items they want to bring with them like books, and tablets. With a few simple tips and useful items, you can keep the car cleaner, and free of the things that end up making us feel embarrassed by the state of our car.”

Here are Dilly Carter’s top five car-cleaning tips:

1. Bin your rubbish – If you’re going on a long trip take a bag with you to put all the rubbish in, or use car bins which are available on all Škoda models
2. Organise and declutter – We often end up with shoes, wellies, books, coats and everything in our car from children. Clever boot storage such as boxes, nets and boot dividers will keep everyone organised
3. Wipe away spills – No matter the stain – chocolate or sticky drinks – try and get to it as soon as you can, and nothing cleans these better than baby wipes
4. Secure your gadgets – Use tablet holders in the back seat. Not only will this help reduce the amount of sticky hands on them but also avoids them being broken, and keeps their mind off more messy activities
5. Carry cleaning cloths – Children aren’t the only problem, clean marks and mess on touchscreens and surfaces with a micro fibre cloth and clever cleaners

As well as Simply Clever features, Škoda tests and develops in-car materials to ensure they can withstand the everyday wear and tear. One such test includes specialist machines creating friction, rubbing materials over and over again with items as harsh as sandpaper, so customers can be safe in the knowledge that rigorous cleaning won’t affect their interior.

Further research found that when their children did make a mess, just one in 10 (12%) of parents admitted to cleaning it up immediately, with 15% rarely doing so. When it didn’t happen immediately, a third of people (33%) said they left it a few days before tackling the mess with 14% leaving it a few weeks and 5% leaving it a month.

Visit www.skoda.co.uk/discover/messy-cars for more parent friendly tips and advice on how to keep your car that little bit more tidy and less messy.

Škoda’s study was made up of 2,000 drivers nationwide. 

¹Calculated using data from GWI, with 12.8 million adults with children aged between 0-16 years, and who own a car, with 41% of Škoda respondents saying they wouldn’t offer friends lifts.
²Calculated using data from GWI, with 12.8 million adults with children aged between 0-16 years, and who own a car, with 9% of Škoda respondents saying they have considered scrapping their car.
³Calculated using data from GWI, with 12.8 million adults with children aged between 0-16 years, and who own a car, with 1% of Škoda respondents saying they have never cleaned their car.