FOR A SPACE THAT often serves as a second home, we don’t really give our cars the level of TLC that they deserve.
When you consider this in the context that last year the CSO found that we take 3.2 million domestic trips within Ireland, we as a nation are spending a significant amount of time inside our cars, and investing in conveniences for your car can make each journey exponentially more comfortable.
Instead of adding to your already excessive candle collection in your actual home, may we suggest that you make things comfortable in your home-on-wheels with these nifty accessories.
Are you forever pulling into petrol stations to spend money on not-so-great coffee? This little gadget is every coffee lover’s dream (and worth it if you think you’d buy 60 very average coffees with the same money).
The Lavazza Espressgo (€150) brews real Italian espresso in your car (or any vehicle with a 12v socket for that matter) and has ten capsule varieties to choose from, that you just add water to and serves you up a high quality coffee in three minutes.
You’ll avoid the inevitable devastation of the Costa Express self-service for the rest of your driving days.
If the thought of parking in your very compact space gives you the heebie jeebies, help is at hand. Even for those who can’t afford a fancy parking sensor.
This clever gadget is screwed into the wall of your garage and it alerts you via a traffic light system as to the perfect moment to stop the car, when it turns red.
It’s perfect for those with bad rear view window visibility, dark garages and those who have been given a very teeny, tiny residential spot within a car park.
If the idea of driving straight from work to go out makes you feel less-than-fresh, you’re not doing it right.
Create a kit for your glove compartment with every arsenal you need to feel your best –think wet wipes, chewing gum, hand sanitiser, deodorant and cologne or perfume.
And if your makeup is feeling a little worse-for-wear after enduring a particularly gruelling day under the office aircon, there’s nothing that a little concealer and the right shade of lipstick can’t fix - keep both within arm’s reach if you’re doing desk-to-dinner.
Have you become a bit fed up with hearing muffled Google Maps directions in your lap, just as you make the wrong turn into oblivion?
If you’re regularly using any GPS software to get you where you’re going, it’s worth it for your own sanity and safety to position your phone on your dashboard in full view.
Luckily, Primark are selling this ‘car cradle’ for only €4 at the moment, or Mick’s Garage have an even niftier hangable one here for €8.
If you’re not always together enough not to accumulate endless rubbish or you’re just a big advocate of car snacks, it might be time to invest in some in-car storage.
For those of us who are more than likely to have empty week-old coffee cups seemingly procreating inside the car, there are many nifty organiser options.
Try LightInTheBox for pockets you can easily hang over the back of your seat to store snacks, rubbish, umbrellas and other paraphernalia you always need but never seem to have.
Fed up becoming infuriated with the same five songs repeated on every radio station? Crank up some world-renowned driving playlists (or just your Discover Weekly) on Spotify with a nifty gadget that connects your phone to your car radio.
Although it’s a little pricey, the New Potato Technology TuneLink is the go-to gadget on a number of car enthusiasts’ sites. It’s universal, operates over FM or connects directly to your auxiliary input.
If you drive a lot, a decent Spotify-to-radio connection is definitely worth the investment – even if it’s to get your version of Call Me Maybe to karaoke standards.
Has the lemon tree-shaped air freshener you picked up three years ago in a petrol station as a pretty boring impulse buy lost most of its scent?
Treat yourself to a higher quality scent from an actual candle company like Yankee Car Vent Sticks (€5.95, above) in scents like Coconut Bay and Bahama Breeze that will whisk you momentarily away when you’re at a standstill on the N11.
New Car Scent Little Trees are so 2005.
Freshen up your car journeys even more with Wrigley’s Extra and Airwaves gum bottles. These now come with a free holder that attaches to your dashboard, ensuring gum is always in arm’s reach – and that you always arrive fresh.
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