We’ve all heard the saying, “take care of your car, and it’ll take care of you.” Regular maintenance and services performed by a dealer or reputable mechanic are essential in preserving your vehicle. However, this isn’t the only way to protect your car. Passengers, more specifically children, can ruin a well-maintained car in minutes. Here is the answer to how to protect your car from messy children. Luckily, we have a few essential items to help protect your car from messy children.
5 Items To Keep Your Car Clean
We have five items that will aid you to protect car interior from kids
1. Floor Mats
It’s inevitable, the floor of your car will get dirty. Your kiddos will track dirt and drop crumbs nearly every day. Manage this dirt by installing vacuuming, or at least shaking out your mats, regularly. If you have rubber floor mats, use a water hose to carefully remove any dirt, food particles, or road grime. This is one of the simplest ways to protect your car from messy children.
2. Sanitizing Wipes
Nothing ruins pristine detailing faster than dirty fingers. To keep your littles from ruining your seats and window with sticky fingers, stock your backdoors with wet wipes or hand sanitizer. Make a habit of sanitizing your hands with your children when you enter the car, before/after eating meals, etc. As for the fingerprints on your windows, make an eco-friendly window cleaner by mixing 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of alcohol, and ½ cup of vinegar into a small spray bottle. Cleaning with this solution will keep your windows sparkling inside and out.
3. Trash Can
This might seem like a no-brainer, but trash cans are vital to maintaining car cleanliness. Don’t have any? Take an empty tissue box, stuff it with grocery bags, and use them as car trash bags. Ideally, your vehicle will have one for the front and back seats, and each should be emptied at least once each week. Protect your car from wrappers, banana peels, and used napkins. If your kid has a snack, remind them to put garbage in the trash.
4. Back Seat Organizer
If being honest, there’s very little you can do to keep your kids from bringing their toys on a car ride. To prevent their essentials from getting lost underneath the seats and beyond, invest in a backseat organizer. These are easily installed tools that serve to keep your backseats clutter-free and organized. They might even prevent your kids from asking, “have you seen my…?”. Any toy, blanket, or book they keep in the car should be placed back in the organizer before exiting the vehicle.
5. Dash Gear
Don’t waste your money on disposable car cleaning supplies. Instead, choose a high-quality multipurpose interior cleaner like the Dash Gear. Use this microfiber cleaning tool to polish your dashboard, screens, trim, glass, and more. Use Dash Gear on your vehicle’s console to lift and trap dirt without using toxic or harmful chemicals.
Other Things To Consider
Clean the Car With Your Kids
Every Saturday morning, have your littles help you wash and vacuum the car. This doesn’t have to be excessive, just delegate vacuuming crumbs and removing trash from the back seat. After all, if they helped make the mess, then they can help clean it up.
Implement a “No Eating In the Car” rule
If you and your family are out and decide to grab food, eat inside the restaurant, find a nice park and have a picnic, or wait until you get home to start eating. Be sure to follow this rule even when your kids aren’t in the car.
Keep an Emergency Kit Handy
Beverage spills, muddy shoes, and debris from school projects are just a few reasons why your car can get messy. To prepare for these incidents, keep an emergency kit in your trunk. Items may include leather cleaner, The Absorber® Mini, a fleece blanket, a first aid kit, and paper towels.