6 QUICK Car Cleaning Hacks for BUSY Moms with Kids
Tired of the constant messes kids make in your car? Tired of paying high prices for detailing for a CRAPPY expensive job. Use these simple car cleaning hacks for busy moms to save you time & money!
When people tell me “just don’t have your kids eat in your car”, I laugh, as that is not a solution for our family. I need to be able to live in my car, but also have my car feel and look clean.
These interior car cleaning hacks, tips and tricks will do just that!
I used to spend way too much money (and time!) paying to have my car professionally cleaned. And I ALWAYS left feeling disappointed and that I wasted money! Do you relate?
I finally decided I was done paying high prices for a professional car detailer, but with young kids I couldn’t just NOT have my car cleaned.
So I decided I would do it myself.
5 Car Cleaning Hacks for the Family Car
1. Wash car & vacuum weekly
Take your car through any automatic car wash. A gas station will work, a Quick Quack, any place as long as it has a strong vacuum provided!
Even if my kids are with me I still go and give them each a “car chore”. My kids love to vacuum the car, and where I go there are two vacuum hoses that keeps at least two kids occupied.
If you don’t want to pay for access to a high powerful vacuum to clean your car, buy a vacuum that is easy to use so you can do it yourself.
Tip: Make it easy and convenient, because then you will be more likely to do it regularly and weekly.
This high powerful handheld vacuum seems like a perfect option. You can keep it in the trunk of your car, it plugs in to your car, and has a long enough cord to reach all of the tough places. Or look to buying a cordless vacuum too.
2. Use the RIGHT Cleaning Products
Let’s be honest, if there is a product that can help me do the job faster, I’m 100% yes going to invest in that product. As a busy mom of four, genius product hacks are exactly what I need in this season of my life.
- Use Car Cleaning Wipes to quickly wipe down all of the plastic, leather chairs and glass in your car.
- Use the best car seat cleaner to clean the filthy car seats.
Mix together equal amounts of hot water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake it well and spray generously on the areas of the car seat.
- Use Folex for the carpet areas. This stuff is magic, and while you are at it buy some for your home too. I haven’t come across a stain it hasn’t gotten out yet.
3. Car Products for Busy Parents
Here are a few products that I have bought for my mom car with four young children that have made a huge difference.
- Quick Drying Towel: This is an investment, but worth the price. Buy a nice microfiber cloth drying towel so after going through the car wash you can dry the windows and areas that didn’t get all the way dry so they don’t leave water spots and streaks. I have this one and really like it.
- Interior Car Trash Bags: These car trash bags are a game changer for keeping your car clean, especially with kids. Encourage and remind your kids to put their trash in the easy and convenient trash bags to help eliminate car clutter on the floor.
- Cylinder Tissue Holder: It seems there is always someone who needs a tissue. These cylinder tissue containers store perfectly in each car door and are so easy for kids to grab and open on their own. Also easy for you to grab when driving.
- Cleaning gel for cup holders and center console: From carseat drink holders, to the car drink holders, who doesn’t have crumbs all over their car from little kids? This car cleaning gel is magic and get all of the crumbs out in those hard to reach places.
- Large Multi – Compartment Utility Tote: I don’t know how I would survive without a large utility tote in the trunk of my car. I am embarrassed how long it took me to buy one with four little kids. Having the multiple different size compartments is a must for organization and to quickly find items you need to grab.
- Paper towels – I always have a roll of paper towels in my car, as messy are bound to happen.
- Plastic bags – I store a few plastic bags in the tote in my trunk to have on hand.
Other Great Car Cleaning Products
- Use baby wipes to clean your windshield and car windows
- Keep you car smelling great. Use car air fresheners and car fragrance.
- Use a can of compressed air to clean out the car air vents
- Use a Magic Eraser to scrub away caked on dirt, and grime in your car
- Invest in a dog car seat cover if you have pets that are constantly in your car and you want an easy way to keep your car cleaned and free of pet hair.
4. Do a Daily & Weekly Clean Out
My weekly car cleaning routine as a busy mom:
- What comes in must come out. We live in our cars as busy moms. So much stuff gets brought in to the car on a daily basis. Food, drinks, backpacks, clothes, bags, sports gear, chairs, and blankets. All of these items are essential for a productive and tantrum free outing with young kids, I get it!
- Remind your kids (and yourself), that what came in to the car, must be taken back out of the car. The car is not the home for all of those items. Often this means daily taking things back out that you just brought in.
- Prior to getting out of the car I ask my kids “Did you grab everything?” We all take a look around the car and pick up the trash that might have not made it in the trash bag, and grab any other items left on the floor or seats.
And there you have it, within 20 minutes your car will sparkle and you will feel great with the money you saved.
5. Organize and Declutter the Car
- Store kids activities in a toy bin stored in the car. Kids toys, books, crayons can quickly take over the car and make your car messy fast. Buy an inexpensive shower caddy or tote at the dollar store to keep in your car for all of the kids toys and activities.
- Store cleaning supplies in your trunk
Buy a car trunk organizer to store all of your car cleaning products in your trunk. Your cleaning products are always available and ready to go for your weekly clean.
Now that your car is cleaned, let’s make sure it is “busy mom” organized.
Check out > Easy & Clever Car Organization Hacks For Busy Moms
- Have a sports tote in your trunk. If your kids are in sports, have a separate / additional tote to store all of the sports gear in to keep the trunk of your car organized.
- Back of the seat hooks – Back of the seat hooks are a great car hack to hang your purse, grocery bags or other purchases. Get them off of your seat and the floor to free up space.
- Don’t forget about the Glove Compartment – The glove box is a great way to store cords, papers, and sunglasses to keep your car organized and things off the seats and ground.
6. DIY Household Products To Clean Your Car interior?
- Use these car cleaning DIY tips to keep the interior of you car cleaned using products you most likely have laying around in your home.
- Use a make up brush to clean the air vents
- Clean your upholstry with a paste of vinegar and baking soda.
- Clean your car dashboard with olive oil
- Use silicone cupcake liners in your cupholders to keep them from getting dirty
- Used dryer sheets work wonders for getting the bugs off your car
- Clean your headlights with toothpaste on a rag
- Remove paint scratches with light to medium abrasive toothpaste to remove paint scratches, such as Sensodyn Pronamel
- Rub your window wipers down with rubbing alcohol to keep them from smudging
- Use rubbing alcohol to remove the sticker residue left behind, tree sap, ink off chairs and wiper blade cleaning
- To save money on car trash bags, use a cereal container as a DIY car trash can
- Use a coffee filter to wipe down the interior of your car
- Use cooking spray to get rid of those pesky stuck on bugs in the front of your car exterior
- For a DIY air freshener, apply five to 10 drops of essential oil onto a clothespin
- Use a toothbrush to clean and get dirt or crumbs out of the cracks in the seats
Products To NOT Use When Detailing Your Car
- Avoid using bleach in your car
- Do not use dish soap on your car. It is another common cleaner you shouldn’t use as it is harsher than what you need for car detailing
- Avoid glass cleaner with ammonia in it
- Don’t use alcohol based products on your leather chairs
- Don’t use cleaners containing benzene
Keeping Your Car Clean as a Busy Mom
Do you feel these car cleaning hacks for busy moms are just what you needed to turn your messy car into a clean car?
Creating a new car cleaning routine is only part of it, make sure you keep it cleaned and organized with these organization hacks.
Which one of these best car cleaning tips are you going to start doing today?
Looking for more genius hacks? Don’t forget to check out…
Follow my Pinterest Boards for more mom hacks and tips.
This post was all about car cleaning hacks for busy mom.
This post may contain affiliate links. That means we may make a small commission on items purchased through links in this post at no extra cost to you!
Want to remember this post? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board!
