You might live in your car, but it shouldn’t look like it

No matter how many fast-food wrappers, drink containers, old newspapers or empty windshield-washer fluid jugs have accumulated, a trip to the dealership for vehicle service is one way to guarantee I'll clean out my car.

I'm not a slob, by any means. But for some reason I don't worry too much about those little details unless there's an overall-wearing, wrench-turning stranger in my vehicle.

In my book, first impressions count. After that, it's just too late to right the wrongs. Also, I find that if my car is clean as a whistle, the boys in the shop are more careful around it because I at least appear to care and that I just might be the very-fussy-pain-in-the-behind type of owner. That's right, I wash the car before going to the dealership.

You might be familiar with the story: Stuff accumulates in the back seat, under the front seats, in front of the passenger seat and even on the passenger seat. And while you'll probably whisk off the seats to make room for passengers, the stuff usually just ends up in the trunk, shoved into the console, under the seat or on the floor in the back. Eventually that gets cleaned out - usually when something large needs to be transported in the trunk - when there's a chance someone will witness the Category 5 carnage .

But it often takes a trip to the service center to inspire a little organization and a good cleanout.

I think it's because mechanics have to do their job in my car - and I don't like to be the cause of workplace stress - whereas when it comes to my passengers, well, they can live with a few stray business cards and a sandwich bag. Maybe you just like the car to have as much stuff as the inside of your purse or briefcase. And maybe you think all that stuff somehow personalizes your vehicle. That's your business and more power to you.

But sometimes I wonder about my little compulsion. Like when I start sizing up the interior, the glove compartment and the trunk, suddenly turning a critical eye toward every item that isn't bolted to the car. I suddenly find myself wondering, "What constitutes garbage, exactly?" The short stack of parking receipts and unopened mail hiding in the glove compartment? The extra pens and pencils tucked in the holder between the seats? What about the CDs that have lost their cases? Honestly, that's all personal stuff that I don't want people picking through and I definitely don't want that stuff getting in the way of the techs doing the job .

Of course, what good is a sparkling interior when the outside is filthy? You need to be consistent, right? Maybe it's too cold outside to take care of it or maybe your dealership cleans your car as part of the service . But it's pretty tough for the shop to vacuum around all that junk, right?

Then again, you can't very well leave a pile of dirt and grit built up on the floor mats, or stains on the seats or crumbs in edge of the shifter boot. Soon, you might be wondering about taking the car to the detail shop before it goes to the garage for service. Great, but then you still have to clean it out for the detail shop.

Does your service department even care? Probably, since most will dutifully cover the floor with a paper mat before getting inside ... unless that's just to keep their shoes clean.

Among her numerous accomplishments, Courtney Hansen is the author of her own book, the host of Spike TV's "Power Block," the former host of TLC's "Overhaulin' " and a writer with Wheelbase Media. You can email her by logging onto www.shiftweekly.com and using the contact form.