Car Pool Survey Reports That Parents Tote Kids an Average of Seven Times Per Month

-- No. 1 Leave-behind Odor is Food, Followed by Sweat and Old Shoes --

CHICAGO, June 20 -- Gas prices may be soaring, but Mom and Dad are still willing to take a hit in the wallet when it comes to chauffeuring their children around town. Parents of kids age 16 and under drive a car pool an average of seven times a month with three kids in the car, according to a recent survey conducted by the International Carwash Association. *

And, to make matters worse, the majority of these drivers allow the children to eat and drink in the car -- which might account for the fact that once the kids exit the vehicle, food is reported as the number one leave-behind odor, followed by sweat and old shoes. One respondent described the car as a "crumb-covered mess," while others reported shoe prints, trash and discarded snacks all over the interior.

Juvenile travelers have left behind such souvenirs as a dead frog pinned to a board, nestled next to a PB&J sandwich in a brown paper sack, an iguana named Joe Bob and a kitten. Other forgotten items include Oreo cookies licked clean of their centers and shoved into the car door pocket, Hustler magazine and underwear.

About one in three parents has shouted, "Don't make me stop this car!" into the back seat, or spilled a drink or food. Not surprisingly, the potential for encountering aggravating circumstances increases with the number of kids in the car, including:

   -- Four teenage boys trying to determine who had the smelliest gas after
      eating chili
   -- One child throwing up on the other two kids in the car
   -- The discovery of head lice on a girl
   -- Kids singing raunchy songs
   -- Kids hitting, fighting, kicking and screaming all the way home

It's no wonder that 90 percent of all respondents reported washing their cars at a professional car wash during the past year!

The International Carwash Association would like to recognize one road-weary car pool parent with the ultimate gift -- a complete car pool makeover. The winner of the International Carwash Association Car Pool Makeover Sweepstakes will receive one year of professional car washes (52 washes) at a nearby member location, as well as his/her choice of the following items or services not to exceed $10,000:

   -- GPS Navigator
   -- Automobile sound system
   -- Car refrigerator
   -- Professional car interior and exterior detailing at locations
      designated by the International Carwash Association

"No matter whether you carpool kids, co-workers or just the groceries, it always feels good to start out with a clean car," said Mark Thorsby, executive director of the International Carwash Association. "And, the average professional car wash only takes five to eight minutes."

There is no purchase necessary to enter. Online forms are available at http://www.carlove.org/ . Mail your entry, with first-class postage affixed, to: International Carwash Association Car Pool Makeover Sweepstakes, 401 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60611. Entries must be received by October 30, 2006. (Entrants must be 18 years of age or older). A complete list of contest rules is posted on http://www.carlove.org/ . Winner will be announced 11/01/06.

The International Carwash Association is a non-profit trade association serving 3,000 businesses in the United States, Canada and overseas. Membership includes car wash operators, equipment manufacturers, distributors and related suppliers. Members represent approximately 25,000 car wash and car care locations in North America.

*Synovate, a national research firm based in Chicago, on behalf of the International Carwash Association, surveyed 258 adults with children under the age of 16.