There’s nothing better than a day at the beach on St. Croix—sunshine, turquoise water, and amazing island views. But if you’ve ever hopped straight from the shore to your car, you know there’s one tiny downside to a blissful beach day: SAND! And if you add salty, damp swimsuits and slathered sunscreen to the mix, your seats take a beating too.
Luckily, there’s a simple, island-approved hack for keeping your car sand-free: keep a jug of water in the trunk for a quick rinse!
The Foot Water Trick
Locals have been doing this for years. Preparing for the beach with foot water is as easy at it sounds.
- Pick up a gallon of water from the supermarket or convenience store and keep it in the trunk for beach days.
- After a relaxing day at the beach, pour a little water over your feet to rinse off sand.
- Dry off with a towel. Bonus points if you keep a small foot towel in the trunk, too!
- Step into the car without bringing the beach with you.
- Keep and refill your jug for your next beach day.
Not only does this keep your car cleaner, it saves you the headache of trying to shake or vacuum sand out of floor mats before returning your rental.
Why It Matters for Your Rental Car
Here at Centerline Car Rentals, we take pride in providing clean, comfortable vehicles for every renter. Excess sand on/in floor mats can significantly increase the amount of time required to clean a vehicle. While a little bit of sand is expected in island rental cars, we do have a fee for excess sand. Our goal isn’t to scare you—it’s to help ensure that we can provide consistently clean vehicles. And, honestly, rinsing your feet takes about 30 seconds and will make your drive back way more comfortable.
Other Beach Day Tips
- Put dry towels down on the seats to prevent sunscreen and salt stains (these could also result in a fee).
- Rinse the bottoms of flip flops/shoes too.
- Knock sand off the bottom of your beach bag and chairs before loading them after a day at the beach.
- Do not leave valuables in your car.
So, go ahead—dig your toes in the sand, float in the sea, soak up the sunshine…and rinse before your drive!