How to Keep Your Car Clean If You Have Kids
If you often travel by car with children, the car gradually turns into a waste deposit. You can find whatever on the seats, on the floor, and in numerous secluded places. There are crumbs, wrappers, water bottles, clothes, books, toys, shoes and what not. It is impossible to count all the items left behind. Someone will say that such mess is impossible to fix, but it’s not so. How can you keep your car clean in a simple way?
1. Assign a place for all things
It is difficult to maintain order when there are children in a car. Many things start “traveling” around the saloon as soon as the child gets inside: books, toys, glasses, hats, wipes, and food. A usual box in the back seat is a good solution. Just give a strict order to put all things into it. If the child is older, you can assign places for some accessories. They can be located in numerous pockets within the child’s reach.
2. Clean up after each trip
Easier said than done, but cleaning the car after every trip is the only certain way to keep it clean. No need to spend a lot of time on it. Just ask the child to take his or her clothes and toys from the car. After this, you will only need to clean up small trash. It is much easier to do so every day than to let the trash pile up for a week.
3. Cultivate responsibility in children
The car is cluttered largely due to the fact that kids take different things with them on a trip: dolls, coloring books, etc. If the child insists and is old enough, let him or her pick up their things from the car and take them home. The same with backpacks and books.
You need to explain to your child that the car is like a small room. Like in the room, it is forbidden to eat in the car or throw garbage there.
4. Vacuum the saloon
You can vacuum the saloon at the dry cleaner’s or the car wash, but doing it regularly would cost a lot. It is much better to vacuum yourself. In our online shop, you can find an inexpensive car vacuum cleaner. Working with this device is a real adventure for children – they like it a lot.
5. Restrict eating in the salon
Constant lack of time forces many people to eat in the car. This is especially true for parents with several children. Fast food rich with fat, mayonnaise, and ketchup is the best way to ruin the saloon. Homemade snacks can also be bad for the car. After such sticky products as marshmallows or an apple, you need use wet wipes. However, it is not guaranteed that the upholstery will remain clean. Smeared jelly won’t add you joy, as well. Parents who do not want to waste money on dry cleaning, should take dry cookies with no chocolate and still water for the trip.
6. Keep a trash bin in the saloon
A trash bin in the car helps eliminate clutter. This can be a one-time package or a special stationary bin. It is placed so that the child can reach it freely from the back seat.
7. Keep a piece of cloth and detergent in the car
In case of an unexpected “leak” of milk or chocolate smeared on the upholstery, always have wet wipes, detergent, and clean cloth at hand. They don’t take up much space in the saloon, but they will help to quickly deal with the problem.
8. Make cleaning fun
The phrase “Who finds the most garbage will receive a prize” is a great way for adults to forget about the boredom of cleaning, turning it into a competition between the children. You can also hold a contest of cleanliness. The child whose half of the back seat will remain clean for the longest time will get a prize.