Turtle Wax Is Concerned About Your Love Life, And Claims Messy Cars Impact Dating

Dating today can be "a nightmare of confusion and poor outcomes," according to Psychology Today, but don't worry, Jalopnik and Turtle Wax are on the case. We've already checked in with readers to see which cars to avoid on a first date, along with which ones instantly tell you their owners have good taste. Now, thanks to a survey recently commissioned by the Turtle Wax team, we can go a little deeper: If you really want to make a good impression the next time you take someone out, first take the time to clean up your car. 

The survey, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Turtle Wax, looked at what people thought about potential partners' car-care routines. For instance, out of the 2,000 "actively dating Americans" questioned, 73% said the way people take care of their cars and the way they take care of themselves go hand in hand. Moreover, 67% of those surveyed responded that they can tell if people have messy personal lives by looking at how messy their vehicles are. Coming at it from the other angle, 65% of the survey respondents agreed that a clean, well-ordered vehicle is a sign someone has a clean, well-ordered life. 

In fact, 25% of the folks surveyed said they've ended a date early because the driver's car was dirty. The real surprise is that that number wasn't any higher. After all, some of the disgusting items survey-takers had seen in cars included at least one box with a dead cat in it, live roaches and maggots, bottles of urine, moldy milk, and that all-time classic, used condoms.

Driving a messy car can affect more than just your chance for romance. Working our way from the outside in, one welcome benefit of a clean exterior is that it can improve your vehicle's fuel economy — if the car starts out dirty enough, it can see a fuel-efficiency gain approaching 10% once it's been cleaned. And every percentage point counts, given today's fuel prices.

Some road filth can actively damage your car as well. Tree sap and bird poop are prime examples: They can eat right through your vehicle's exterior finish if you don't clean them up promptly. It's a similar story with road salt and other corrosives, which can cause a car to rust if not regularly washed off. Either way, the result can be a cascade of problems. Keep the car, and you could face costly repairs. Try to sell it, and you're likely to get less for a cruddy-looking vehicle than for one that's been freshly detailed. Meanwhile, leaving grime and dust on your windows can turn into a major safety issue if they limit your visibility.

Getting into a car with a disgusting interior can open up its own set of issues. One of the worst is if you drop food or drinks in the cabin and simply leave the spill laying there. Then mold can start forming in your car. Oh, and remember the dead cat in a box mentioned above? Yeah, driving around with dead animals is another bad idea, since they can carry salmonella, hantavirus, e. coli, and more.