Road trips with the kids mean lots of time spent in the car, often sitting a bit to close together. Snacks, drinks, games and other items may be necessary to keep the peace, but they can quickly add up to a messy, yucky car that makes it unpleasant to travel with kids (or anyone else).
Keeping the car as clean as possible may seem like an insurmountable task but some simple steps can help.
Choose the Right Snacks.
Potato chips, pretzels, popcorn and similar snacks are good munchies when you travel with kids, but they tend to leave lots of big and small crumbs in every nook and cranny of the car. Stick with items like slightly larger fresh fruit (apples, bananas) and be sure that the kids either eat the food or give it back – and throw away anything that’s leftover.
Limit Drinks.
When juice or soda spill, they tend to leave lots of sticky residue behind unless the spill is cleaned up correctly and quickly. A spill in an overstuffed car during a road trip may go overlooked until the mess appears to have become a child’s science project. Water dries up without any residue – and is better for your health.
Move the Car Seats.
Car seats are necessary to keep kids safe, but they are great places to hide little pieces of food or small crayons. Once the road trip is over, be sure to juggle them around a little bit so you can find and remove any food that’s hidden. (Be sure that the car seat is installed correctly once the cleaning is done.)
Provide a Small Garbage Bag.
Bring along a garbage bag to collect trash during the trip, but also be sure to have more than one available. The kids sitting in the last row of a mini-van can use their own garbage bag to throw away items so that the trash doesn’t have to be passed up to the front of the car where mom and dad sit.
Clean Out the Car at Every Stop.
This seems like an easy enough task until it actually needs to be done. The need to use the bathroom and walk around often takes first priority for kids and adults alike when they take a pit stop. But, remembering to take a moment or two to empty out the garbage in the car can help free up space and ensure that there’s less of a mess to pick up once the travel with kids is complete.
Bring Along Easy Cleaning Products.
If there’s room, stash some paper towels or, even better, a roll of antibacterial wipes so that messes can be quickly cleaned and sanitized. Forget a cleaner? Diapers wipes can serve double duty – cleaning up a baby’s mess but also helping to pick up any car messes.