This post brought to you by PERK. The content and opinions expressed below are that of A Virtuous Woman.
I’ve raised five kids of my own. The oldest is twenty-four and the youngest is twelve. Three of my kids still live at home. I know something about keeping a car clean even while regularly transporting kids around town and cross country!
[Tweet “5 Tips to Keep Your Car Like New – even with kids:”]
5 Tips to Keep Your Car Like New
1. Cover the Floors. We use cheap, sturdy rugs on the floor of our car as well as in the trunk. They work better and cover more floor space than your typical floor car mats. Every day or so, we shake the rugs out and replace them. 
We’ve also trained the kids since they were little to always make sure the rugs under their feet are neat and that their feet are always over the rug. For years, when the kids were little, we would have them remove their shoes if they were wet or messy in any way. That way their dirty feet didn’t press against the back of seat, walk across the seats, or end up on the windows. 
I know it may sound like extra work, but really, it saves your car in the end – which means better trade-in later!
2. Avoid Messy Snacks. The younger your kids, the more likely they will spill snacks or rub messy hands on their car seat. Some foods just aren’t car friendly. And water is easily cleaned up if spilled whereas juice and soda leaves a sticky mess and can stain carpets.
Some good choices are:
- granola bars
- dried fruit
- Cherrios
- multi-grain chips and hummus
- string cheese
- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- grapes cut in half
- carrot sticks
Of course, if a spill does happen, clean it as soon as possible! And, keeping a supply of hand wipes in the car is perfect for cleaning hands and faces after snacking.
3. Don’t Let Little Hands Touch Everything. Kids love to fiddle with the air vents in the ceiling, hang from the hand holds, pull on the ceiling fabric, or climb up in the back window. We have always had a hands off policy. It’s not hard to train your children, it just takes consistency.
4. Use PERK Air Fresheners for your Car. We all love that new car smell. My husband is especially dismayed when that new car smell fades! PERK auto air fresheners offer long-lasting fragrances that smell wonderful. Their innovative designs allow you to create your own fragrance combination. Plus, they offer a “new car smell” fragrance that will make any dismayed husband happy! 
I love how you can clip or hang PERK air fresheners wherever you prefer in your car. The clip design makes it easy to clip on the rear view mirror, gearshift, headrest, grab bars, and more. 
And like I said, they come in a variety of delicious fragrances, including favorites such as Golden Vanilla, Caribbean Colada and New Car. 
You can purchase PERK products most stores where auto air fresheners are sold: Walmart, Target, Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Meijer, Kroger, Pep Boys, Publix, CVS, and more. You can download a $1 off PERK coupon here. Keep reading to find out how you can win a six month supply of PERK Air Fresheners {GIVEAWAY CLOSED}.
5. Clean Out the Car Every Time You Get Home. When we arrive home from a trip, before anyone is allowed to do anything else, everyone has to help clean out the car. Every piece of trash and every belonging is taken inside or thrown away. The only exception to this would be times when we arrive home at, say, 2:00 am. In that case, we clean out the car first thing in the morning.
We keep a small whisk broom and dust pan under one of the seats and use it to sweep out crumbs on the seats and debris on the floors every time we see a quick sweep is needed. Once a month or so, as needed, we wash the car, vacuum, and clean the interior. This is a great chore for kids! When we were still using car seats for babies and toddlers, I regularly took the covers off and washed them. Those things can get pretty grubby and smelly if they aren’t washed on a regular basis! And, speaking of car seats, it’s a good idea to put a folded towel or mat under the car seat to protect your upholstery or leather seats.
By doing these things your cars will always look and smell fresh!
Enter to Win Closed
Update: Congratulations to Lynne McKenney!
The nice folks at PERK have offered one of my readers a special gift basket which includes the following items:
- 6 month supply of PERK products/fragrances
- 1 PERK travel mug
- 2 pairs of PERK sunglasses (1 green and 1 black)
Be sure to visit their website here: PERK Fresh Link and check out PERK’s Facebook page!
Leave a comment below and a random winner will be chosen on Friday, July 31!
Do you have any more tips for keeping your car in tip top shape with kids?
29 Comments