Tips for Keeping Your Car Clean With Children

Few things are more challenging than being a parent, and you may think it’s impossible to have nice things while your kids are around. In fact, many parents believe they have to sacrifice having a new, clean car until their children are well into their teen years. Whether you have one child or multiple, you can benefit from these helpful tips for keeping your car clean with children.

Get a Compact Trash Can

Whether you’re going on a road trip or a regular drive around town, you already know your children will likely make a mess. To avoid littering, many of us tend to shove our trash into the nooks and crannies of our cars rather than holding onto things until a trash can is available. Unfortunately, your vehicle can quickly become a disaster as wrappers and napkins build up. Therefore, consider getting a compact trash can to keep in your car—some fit in a cup holder, while the larger ones attach to the back of a seat.

Avoid Unsecured Food or Drinks

Although you may want to implement a no food or drink in the car rule, it usually doesn’t stick. With that said, you should try to bring things that won’t spill easily or make a mess that’s difficult to clean up. For instance, opt for solid foods, like chips, crackers, nuts, and more, that you can clean up with a vacuum if necessary. Drinks should be in cups with lids to avoid spills; however, if a spill does occur, you should clean it up immediately to prevent stickiness or odd smells.

Wipe Down Hard Surfaces Regularly

Knowing how often to clean your car’s interior can be difficult, and you probably don’t want to spend too much time cleaning anyway. With that said, you should try to wipe down the hard surfaces in your car once each week to prevent dust and debris buildup. This minimal upkeep can help keep your interior looking clean and fresh without doing too much maintenance.

Use Odor Eliminators

As much as you want to have a perfectly clean vehicle, it’s nearly impossible when you have children. However, you can make sure it always smells nice regardless of how it looks by using odor eliminators to remove unpleasant smells and air fresheners to create pleasant scents. Even if you aren’t happy with your car’s overall cleanliness, an air freshener may be an excellent option to change the atmosphere of the vehicle.

They may be small, but children can quickly wreak havoc on your car’s interior. Hopefully, these useful tips for keeping your car clean with children will help you maintain a relatively fresh and clean vehicle despite your kids’ messes.