Let’s Talk About Your Car (and That Sad Little Cardboard Tree)
We spend a lot of time in our cars. Actually, an absurd amount of our lives are spent in our cars. Not just “a little here and there” amounts. And until I really looked at the numbers I didn’t know how much it was.
Your life in the car, by the numbers:
- 27.2 minutes — the average one-way commute in the U.S. Round-trip, that’s basically an hour of your day, every Monday–Friday, before a single errand or any other stop.
- 293 hours a year — how long the average driver spends behind the wheel, per AAA. That’s about seven full 40-hour work weeks. You have a second job and its office is your car.
- Approx. 60 hours a year — a rough estimate of the time parents spend idling in the school carpool line (call it 20 minutes a day across a school year).
And these are averages. They don’t take into consideration if you’re commuting anywhere near Atlanta or any other big city, or the number of activities your kids are in, or anything fun like road trip vacations.
Your car is no longer just a way to get from point A to point B. I think it’s fair to say it’s a space of its own, and a considerable one taking into account just how much time (and life) happens in it.
And if you’ve got kids, that space is, well, loud, distracting, and sometimes frustrating because it’s not just your time in the car, alone, listening to your favorite music and driving to your favorite places. Oftentimes you have other people with you, including your tiny humans — and that opens up a whole new ballgame.
From bickering, crossing the line, breathing on, looking at, to complaining, wailing, or even the silent treatment (wait, would the silent treatment even be that bad?) there’s a lot going on in the backseat. Who can even keep track of the statistics that surround those trips?
Now think about what this space actually smells like
Let’s be honest about what’s happening in there. Spilled coffee. Kid’s sports equipment. A dog. A toddler who just discovered yogurt. The mystery fry that fell under the seat and became part of the family. And a smell you went nose-blind to at some point, but who really knows when.
But what if that space (you know, your car) could be a little different? Relaxing, calming, or even pleasant smelling?
You need something to turn your car into a better experience, maybe something even spa-worthy. It should also be something you’re comfortable and confident breathing in for those countless hours you spend in your car.
Meet Rinse’s Car Diffuser… because those cardboard trees and plastic candle-shaped containers just don’t check all the boxes
Rinse’s Car Diffusers are not just any air freshener — they’re a clean, simple little way to make your car actually smell like somewhere you want to spend all those hours.
And here’s what I love about them:
- It’s the natural (or the more natural) option. In classic Rinse style, you have your pick of 100% natural Car Diffusers using essential oils for scenting, or our free-from (all that bad stuff) fragrance oils — either way, no harsh, headache-y scent blast.
- It can do more than just scent your car. Lavender, Peppermint, AllerEase, and Thievery Diffusers can turn your commute into a mini spa experience — clear your mind, relax a bit, or support yourself through the seasonal challenges. The options are yours.
- It’s genuinely pretty. Designed to be clean, simple, functional, and not ugly — not something you hide behind the visor.
- It works. Saturate the wooden lid with the oil, then hang it from your rearview mirror or a vent and enjoy the scent for up to 90 days.
- Refreshing it is easy. Add as much scent to the lid as you want throughout its use — you control how strong or subtle it is.
But wait — there’s more. It’s not just for the car
Yes, we made it with the car in mind, but it’s a natural fit for basically any small space that could use a lift: a closet, a stuffy office cubicle, a drawer, or a tiny bathroom. Tuck one in your desk and whenever you need a pick-me-up, it’ll be there waiting.
Our favorite pro tip — you can hang the Frosted Pine Cone Diffuser right on the Christmas tree (real or artificial) during the holidays.
It’s the little things
The small things you interact with every single day quietly shape how the day feels, and how you feel. And when you’re spending as much time in the car as we do, how we feel in our car (and when we get out of it) matters. A lot.
