Here are a few tips that help keep your vehicles from being an embarrassment - especially if you have small children.
1-If you do let your children have food in the car - be discriminating on what you are giving them. Ask yourself a few questions - Can it spill? Does it drip or ooze? How sticky will the little fingers get? Food options might be - fruit snacks, crackers, cups with secure lids, raisins or other died fruits.
2 - Keep wipes in the car. Both kinds ( a ) for the kiddos, and ( b) for the car when accidents do happen.
3 - Have small garbage bags tucked into the car door pockets, and after consuming fast food, train yourself to pass the bag around for garbage collection, so it does not get scattered all over the floor. Have a garbage can close to where you park at home, and make sure before you exit the car, all garbage is in the bag and thrown away. This one is so simple - and makes such a big difference.
4 - Don't view your car as a traveling storage bay. What goes in the car, comes out of the car, wether it is a trip around the block, to the market, or a long road trip.
5 - Have a car vac handy by your back door, or in your garage - and use it once in awhile.
6 - If you do have small children, and you want to keep them occupied with crayons, books etc. Have a container with a secure lid. Mention to them when you are a few minutes from your destination, to get their activity items into the box. Thinking ahead is always good - especially if you are always in a time crunch.
Over time good habits will become instinctive, and a clean car is mostly about good habits, and thinking ahead. Teaching kids at an early age, to be responsible for their own belongings is not just about a clean car, but will produce long-term benefits that will produce dividends in so many other aspects of daily living.
