How clean or dirty is your car? And from a self development point of view, does this have any reflection on your true personality or true self?

Some people are very obsessive about cleanliness. At home, their work surfaces are sparkling with neat cupboards, books in alphabetical order, and not a speck of dust in sight. However, if your home is immaculate this does not always mean that your car will be too. So why is this?

One reason is that people often use their car as their second home or office. If you have a lot to cram into such a small space or if you spend much time in that limited space it is easy for things to get messy and untidy.

Another reason, more along personal development lines, is that if people rarely see the inside of your car, you tend to keep it just as you wish. If you are a genuinely untidy person this will generally be reflected in your car.

Cars - Clean Or Dirty - So how do you treat yours?

* Do you vacuum your car weekly?
* Do you treat it as your personal skip?
* Do you wax the outside so it sparkles?
* Do you still have the plastic covers on the seats?
* Do you wear gloves to protect the steering wheel?
* Do you clean the inside as well as the outside of the windows?
* Do you clean it just enough to ensure that the number plate is visible?
* Is the inside cluttered with stuff?

The most common car clutter includes bottles, breakdown triangles, chocolate wrappers, car care items, CDs, coats, coins, cosmetics, crisp packets, drinks, emergency blankets, gardening rubbish, gloves, gym clothes, hiking gear, ice-scrapers, shoes, maps, paperwork, parking receipts, sandwich containers, school accessories, snacks, sweet wrappers, toys, and water bottles.

Cars - Clean Or Dirty - Self Development aspects

So what can a clean or dirty car say about your personality? Some believe that your car is an extension of who you are. For example, if you are a genuine perfectionist your car will generally be pristine. If you are untidy at home or at work, this usually shows in your car too.

However, it is not the outside of your car that really gives you away. It may have a dirty exterior simply because you do a lot of active sports or country driving. It is the interior of your car that is more related to your true self or personality. Generally speaking, the tidier you keep the interior, the more in control of your life you tend to be.

It is interesting that some people keep their car clutter-free purely for safety reasons. Some research has shown that cars with a lot of clutter inside are more prone to accidents. This is mainly due to rubbish rolling around the feet, falling off the dashboard, being thrown forward from the back seats, etc.

Then there is the subtle difference between being cluttered and being messy. Your car might be quite untidy inside but not actually messy (dirt, mud, dust, etc).

There are also gender differences. It is often perceived that men are more proud of their cars and spend much more time than women on cleaning the outside and inside of their vehicles. There are several schools of thought on this and worth an article in its own right!

Cars - Is Yours Clean Or Dirty - Self Development Summary

If your home is immaculate this does not necessarily mean that your car will be too. It is believed that your car is an extension of who you truly are. This self development article suggests that how clean or dirty you keep the inside of your car can reflect your true personality or true self.

To receive further articles do visit the 'FREE Self Development Newsletter' link below. For my Background, Passions and why I write articles like these, see: Dr JOY Madden