If you have kids & a a dog & lease a car.....

[AmIPeriOrAreYouJustAnnoying]

Don't you just spend the whole time worried about them eating/drinking / getting it muddy / ruined?

Surely that's very stressful?

No because you have it cleaned before it goes back.

We always chose leather interior for child related clean up, and installed a boot liner for the dog. We never got penalised at the end of the lease

I have kids and a lease car. I refuse to taken my mum’s dogs in my car. Mess from the DC I can clean, and I work in construction so half the mud is mine anyway. Damaged upholstery and chewed wires by the dogs I can’t they have done both to her car).

@Nataliafalka even a clean doesn't get our current car looking like new.

@CMOTDibbler oooh a boot liner sounds like a great idea!

Childminder and dog here, regular valets and I don't allow eating, take muddy boots off in winter but generally it's fine and no penalising at the end.

I’ve got a canvas seat liner, I think it was Halfords which covers the whole back seat, it attaches the head rests and has slots for seat belts.

They don't have to look like new at the end of the lease. As long as they're reasonably clean and not totally ripped and destroyed, it's fine.

The last but one car I sent back was pretty grubby inside - I never clean the interior of my car. It had the normal door chips down the sides, wing mirror scratches and two different sets of scrapes on the back bumper and I got a bill for £60 for one of the bumper scrapes which was the only thing judged beyond fair wear and tear by the assessor, so nothing to worry about really.

Have a look at the BVRLA fair wear and tear guide to see how much you can get away with.

Unless DC are regularly tipping drinks into the upholstery, drawing on the hard surfaces with indelible marker and dragging sharp things along the side, I can't think what they'd do to damage the car 'too much'.

If you have a dog that chews or urinates, it needs to go in a carrier.

Thanks @BarbaraofSeville that's helpful to know.

The mess is mainly crumbs, mudd, sand, and dog hair. They are not wilfully destroying it. Just messy buggers!

We are in the same situation and need a new car but are put off by this.

I get it cleaned every 4 weeks
No rubbish to be left in car
Boot liner for dog