Before having kids, I prided myself on having a neat and tidy car. Any mess drove me absolutely crazy. Every couple of weeks, I’d even go to one of the old-school self serve car washes and spend an hour scrubbing and vacuuming. I kept my car nearly immaculate.
And then I had kids.
(Four girls in under 5 years, to be exact)
And suddenly my car floor was littered with little toys, goldfish crackers, discarded socks, and hair ties.
It drove me crazy.
And so over the years, I’ve implemented a bunch of things that have made a huge difference in the state of my vehicle without taking much time or effort…or having to deep clean it every couple of weeks.
(Because what parent has time for that?)
And in this post, I’m going to share those easy tips to keep your car clean when you’ve got kids. Nothing complicated or time-consuming necessary.
How to Easily Keep Your Car Clean With Kids
#1 – Set food rules for the car
The truth is that not allowing food in the car will 100% make it a million times easier to keep your car clean. Food is the number 1 culprit in messy family vehicles.
(and the number one reason you’ll get in the car and a nasty smell will suddenly hit you)
But having a “no food in the car” rule isn’t always realistic.
When my kids were really young, it was easy to not allow food. Besides the fact I was afraid they’d choke, we never were in the car all that long.
However, now that my kids are older and super busy, some days we are rushing from one thing to the other. And eating in the car is the only way I keep my kids properly fed.
However, it doesn’t have to be either “no food ever” in the car or an all-out buffet every time you get in the car. You can set the rules that work for your family.
Maybe you allow food only during road trips. Or only certain foods are allowed in the car (ie food that is easily cleaned up)
Just make sure you have the parameters clearly set–along with the expectations for cleaning up if food is allowed.
#2 – Keep bag for trash
I like to keep a few plastic grocery bags in my car for trash. Because trash happens, from stray papers from your kid’s backpack to candy wrappers.
If you, like me, allow some food in the car then keeping trash bags handy is a must. I like to just be able to pass back the bag and instruct my kids to get all the trash in the bag.
#3 – Keep Baby Wipes Handy
Even though we are well past the diaper stage, I keep baby wipes in the car. Because while that stack of fast food napkins you’ve got in your car can be helpful (especially if you suddenly need to blow your nose) the reality is that often kids’ messes are best cleaned with a wet wipe.
Otherwise, I’m trying to wet one of those fast food napkins with water from my water bottle, and you know how those suckers disintegrate when they get wet.
Do yourself a favor and keep a bag of wipes in your car.
#4 – “Grab all your stuff!” After every car ride
The best way to ensure that messes and clutter don’t accumulate in your car is to make sure everyone picks up their messes. And to do it every time you drive.
I recommend that right when you pull into your driveway–before seat belts are off and the kids are rushing into the house–to get everyone to grab all their stuff.
I usually say something like “Okay guys, make sure you grab all your stuff!” I then go through any specific items they need to grab that I can see. Which 95% of the time means they grab their shoes because apparently my kids can’t ride in a car with shoes on their feet. I’ll also hand the trash bag back if there’s any trash.
The great thing about this is that it will become automatic. They will start to automatically pick up their messes and will need fewer and fewer nudges.
I’m all about getting kids to clean up after themselves and help out around the house. For more check out How to Get Kids to Help Out Without Complaining
#5 – Store a Swiffer Duster
You know how you’ll be driving and all the sudden you look at your dashboard and all you see is a layer of dust? And you think “Oh I need to clean that.” But then you never do and so you try to smear it with your hands and then it looks worse?
The solution: Keep a Swiffer Duster in your car.
That way you can quickly and efficiently get rid of the dust! I keep mine in the door compartment by the driver’s side and honestly use it every couple of days.
Takes 2 seconds and my dash always looks fantastic.
Nothing compares to a Swiffer Duster in being able to quickly and easily dust a surface. I’m genuinely obsessed and have like 10 throughout home.
#6 – Keep the messiest kids out of third row
There’s no place that can trap messes like the 3rd row of a family car. It’s the definition of out of sight, out of mind. If you have a car with a third row, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The handful of times we’ve had a bad smell in the car, I’ve found the culprit rotting in the 3rd row of our van.
Therefore, I recommend keeping that kid that ALWAYS leaves stuff in the car out of the third row and in the middle row. That way you can monitor their clutter and prompt them to pick up their stuff.
#7 – Invest in a vacuum cleaner for your car
To keep a car clean with kids, you need a vacuum that can clean up the messes that will absolutely happen. Some cars have them, which is awesome.
But otherwise, you just need something that can do the trick.
This can be a vacuum that is designed for cars like this one.
Or a basic vacuum that can work in your home or car like this one.
Or if you’re obsessed like me, you can invest in a shop vac. This is the one that I have. Because it’s AMAZING at vacuuming out cars and cleaning up home improvement projects.
Bonus Tip: Get Weather Proof Floor Mats
We have WeatherTech mats in our van and I do not know what I’d do without them. They are nearly indestructible. Plus make it easy to keep the floors clean and keep the original floors looking brand new.
While pricey (hence being a bonus tip), they are awesome for saving your car from wear and tear and making it easy to clean up messy floors.
You Can Keep Your Car Clean With Kids
The beauty of these tips is that they’re all quick and easy, but will make a huge difference in your car. Start reminding kids to pick up after every car ride. Put the items in your car that you need (like a bag for trash, baby wipes, Swiffer Duster) and throw anything you don’t have on your shopping list.
You’ve got this!
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