It's hard to keep your vehicle clean and free of germs, what with the busy days of back and forth to school to kids' sporting events, family road trips, etc. Don't worry....it's a daunting task for most busy moms, so you're not alone. And of course, when you first bought the car or van, you may have purposed there would never be a single piece of food or a single drink brought into the vehicle. Where did your resolve go? It went out the car window once you "got used" to the vehicle and its newness wore off! Now, it's an all-you-can-eat buffet every time you take a trip with the kids!
So now, keeping the car clean and germ-free has become a hassle or a dreaded task to tackle every week. The good news is there are some simple car cleaning solutions to keep your car clean and everyone in the family happy.
Lay Down "Mom's Car Cleaner Rules"
Kids should have car cleaner rules and chores just like they do for cleaning inside the home or for yard chores. The car rules should be simple, age appropriate, and should allow for some mistakes. After all, they're kids, right?
Rule #1: Never bring an uncovered drink into the car. Use drinking bottles with screw-on caps or spill-proof cups for toddlers. Keep some empty bottles handy at your home so you can pour drinks from the fridge into the bottles before traveling. Canned drinks should be avoided while in the vehicle. Remind your kids that spills can cause the spread of germs and bacteria, even if you try to clean them up immediately. Carpet can harbor bacteria and germs because some of the spilled drink will seep down below the carpet.
Rule #2: Snacks should be packaged in sealed baggies that can be re-sealed when finished snacking. Even items such as potato chips and cookies can be divided evenly in baggies so the kids won't fight over one bag of chips or one container of food. Chocolates should be avoided for smaller children. Small children tend to eat slowly or place their food on the seat when they're full. Chocolate will melt all over the floor or seat if this happens - not good for your upholstery!
Rule #3: If you bring a snack or drink into the vehicle, then you must take it out or be responsible for throwing it away. This puts responsibility on each child so that everyone participates in keeping the vehicle clean. For toddlers, allow the older children to take turns being responsible for the toddlers' snack items and drinking cup. Rotate these turns each trip so every child will gain a sense of responsibility.
Car Cleaner Chores
Assign car cleaner chores to your kids to do on a weekly basis. These should include vacuuming the carpets, cleaning the seats, checking for any leftover trash, wiping the dashboard with a dashboard cleaner, and cleaning all the electronic areas with an electronic cleaner. There are special, putty-like cleaning solutions that are fun to use for kids. These auto cleaners for electronics can be pressed onto electrical areas and then easily removed to take dirt and grime out of those hard-to-reach places. These also make great germ-killing keyboard cleaners for computer keyboards. Your kids will have fun using the cleaner again and again.
Once your kids finish the inside, allow them to have some splashing fun while washing the outside of the vehicle with a hose. This is always the fun part, and they've earned it by being diligent with the inside cleaning.
As a busy mom, don't fret about keeping the car spotless. Basic cleaning chores and rules for your kids should keep your car looking decent throughout the week so it doesn't get out of hand.
To learn more about subjects like germs please visit the web site at: http://www.cyberclean.tv
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About the Author
Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2011 (Sat Sep 05 2009) Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource internet marketing web site at: http://www.majon.com
