Driving in a clean car can be so refreshing, particularly when your car feels like your second home due to factors such as commuting.
If you are busy with commuting and working, raising children or just working in general, chances are you are too busy to give your car a throrough clean whenever you feel like it.
Even as a mother of four children, I am here to tell you, a clean car can be yours no matter how many people are riding in it or how young they may be and how much mess they may bring!
Start by gathering a few supplies;
2-3 saved plastic shopping bags. 1 container of disinfecting wipes (there are some available at Wal-Mart for $2). 1 package of hand and face wipes. 1 laundry basket, bucket, or bag (Dollar Tree sells mesh bags for laundry for $1 that could work quite well). 1 roll of paper towels. 1 bottle of glass cleaner. 1 bottle of Febreze or generic alternative. 1 small backpack.
Now that you have your supply list ready, let’s go over some techniques to keep your car clean;First and foremost, set a goal for your car becoming clean, and take time reaching it. If you follow these steps a little every day, you can achieve a clean car over time that you will be able to maintain from then, on. Move towards your goal, don’t stress yourself out trying to do it all in one day, or one hour! Take your time. Place the two to three saved plastic shopping bags in your glove compartment. Pull one out any time that you generate trash. You can throw it away after a driving trip where it becomes full. There are trash cans available at many public places. Grocery stores, libraries, gas stations, etc. can have trash cans right outside their doors. When you park your car to go to any one of these places, grab your bag, tie it up, and throw it out. Another general trash rule I love to use the most – Every time you exit your vehicle for any reason, practice taking just ONE item out to throw in the trash or put in its proper place. Don’t try to clean the whole car at once. Just one or two items every time you get out, and before you know it, the car will be clean! Small steps towards a big goal is the best way to go. When you are parked at a stop light, waiting for someone, etc. pull out a disiinfecting wipe and wipe down the steering wheel, console(s), radio, other buttons, etc. My children always want to take a hundred toys into the car. I’ve had to shut this down, because it turns into utter chaos in no time. If you have children, keep a small backpack in the car with just a few toys or books for car time. If your children are old enough, have them learn to pick up these items at the end of your trip and put them back in their car-time backpack. You can have special time with your child perhaps once a week to refill the backpack with new toys for the next ride. Also in your glove compartment, keep the hand and face wipes. Let’s “face” it, earting in the car is anything but avoidable all of the time. Keep these wipes on hand to clean up sticky, dirty fingers after every meal, and make sure people riding in the car keep their trash in the bag you have allotted. In the trunk, have a laundry basket, bucket, or bag designated exclusively for misplaced items that do not belong in the car. Make it something you can easily carry in the house with you to unload later. Shoes, jackets, etc. can pile up quick, especially with little ones. When you get home, load up this basket quickly and take it in the house to unload and place back in the car. Everytime you stop to pump gas in your car, use the window cleaner and scrubber they offer (if available) to give your windows a quick wipe-down. Use the glass cleaner and paper towels in your trunk to do the same to the inside windows. Nothing elaborate, just a quick clean. When you park your car at home at the end of the day, grab your bottle of Febreze from the trunk, and give the seats a quick spray. Once a month, do a vacuum and outside clean of the car, and place a new air freshener on the inside.
Enjoy your clean car, and make sure any passengers help out, too!.
For Sources, See;
http://www.febreze.com/en_US/home.do?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=Febreze&utm_campaign=P&G_Febreze_Search_Brand%2BAwareness_09.2010&gclid=CPbB2p35sawCFYFT7AodOWQfpQ
http://www.dollartree.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=mesh%20laundry%20bags&x=0&y=0
http://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-disinfecting-wipes/?gclid=CMDwrdf5sawCFSOMtgodRyonGQ