Keeping the Family Car Clean this Holiday Season 

Estimated read time 4 min read

The holidays are almost upon us and there is always plenty to see and do. You can keep the mess out of your cars by following the tips listed below.

The holidays are a time to bring the family together. This means plenty of engaging activities, like carving pumpkins, sledding, and piling into the car with family and friends to explore new locations. The unfortunate side effect of all this bustle of activity is the potential for damaging your car. After all that climbing in and out of the car, the dirt and contaminants brought in on many shoes can be considerable.

But there are three important ways that you can keep your car clean and in good condition. This way you will make many happy memories, but none of the accompanying mess.

  1. Install Food Transport Totes

Food is one of the primary concerns. Not only can it be difficult to transport, but there is considerable potential for catastrophe. Even if you place down towels and protective cloths, it only takes hitting a bump at the right angle to scatter that delicious pasta fazool all across the backseat and floor.

But you can avoid this by using plastic totes to carry the foodstuffs. By equipping your car with a couple of properly-sized plastic totes, you can ensure any potential messes are well contained.

This begins with getting the right sized tote. Measure the cargo space of your car and select two plastic totes that can fit nicely side by side in the cargo hold. You can add protection from slips and mess by lining the bottom of your totes with non-slip rubber feet or the bottom of the cargo hold with non-slip lining.

When you will be transporting food, simply place all the food in plastic containers and close the lids tightly in place. In addition to keeping foods from becoming scattered across the car floor and the cargo area, you can also keep the delightful food aroma from escaping and permeating the interior of your car.

  1. Check Your Kids Before Car Rides

Children are notorious for making a disaster in the car with dirty little hands. It can take a while to develop solid hand-washing regimens and your car and upholstery will suffer in the meantime. Sad to say, it only takes a few grubby hands in the right spot to permanently tarnish the vinyl handles of your car or the fabrics of your seats.

Who knows where they find it? Small kids can get their hands in bacteria that can cause bad smells and bad health. Then there are pigments and food bits from a snack that can be worked into the fabrics of your car and never be removed.

To prevent all types of smudges, stains, and damage, arm yourself with soap, water, or at the very least wet wipes.  Get into the habit of checking your kids carefully before you allow them to jump into the car.  Check hands, clothing, and shoes. Use soap and water for removing serious contaminations and wet wipes to clean hands and faces that will let loose on the backseats of your car.

Then there are toys, craft projects, and papers that can add to the mess in the car. Collect all of this before you leave for your destination and show your children how it is best to pack them properly in the cargo hold. Even though this small chore will add some minutes to your travel time, it will also do much to protect your car from damage.

  1. Schedule Routine Professional Detailing

Soap is an effective cleaning agent because it is polar in comparison to grimy contaminants, this means it dissolves readily in water. But if this soapy residue is left behind on the seats, it can get sticky and attract more dirt, stains and other issues best avoided. Because of this, professional auto detailing is often the best choice for extending the lifespan of your car’s upholstery and other fabrics. Keep your carpets clean with protective mats from Mrcarmats.co.uk.

To keep your car in excellent condition, a regular car detailing is in order every 6 to 8 months. So, consider booking one right after the holidays so your car can recover from any mistreatment.