Do you struggle with keeping the interior of your car clean?
Join the club!
Keeping my car decently clean has been a longstanding challenge for me.
However, my new goal is to quit worrying about keeping my car clean, but instead, be ok with clean enough.
(Clean enough = somewhere between perfect and a pigsty!)
My Story
Anyone who knows me well, and happens to be reading this, is probably rolling on the floor laughing.
Keeping my vehicle clean is a challenge for me.
However, last fall, my beloved Jeep bit the dust (too soon I might add), and I was forced to purchase a new vehicle.
After multiple people made comments/bets regarding how long I would be able to keep it clean, I determined that I would prove them wrong.
I was well on my way to proving them right when I decided enough was enough.
After spending a few weekend sessions getting my new vehicle clean, I am determined to keep it that way.
My goal is not immaculate; my goal is to keep my car clean enough.
If you can relate, and would like to keep your car clean enough, it’s really not difficult.
The key is, of course, consistency, and focusing on just a few little things that make a big difference.
Routinely clear the vehicle of clutter.
Don’t treat your vehicle like a rolling storage facility.
Make a point of routinely removing anything from the vehicle that doesn’t belong there.
This includes items destined for donation, items waiting to be returned, sports equipment, random shoes, and anything else that doesn’t belong in your vehicle.
Ideally, this would happen daily.
Since ideally obviously doesn’t work for me, I have decided to add this to my weekend list.
Removing the clutter from your car takes less than fifteen minutes if you do it regularly.
(Remember the 15 minute post?)
Sweep the interior of your vehicle often.
If you do nothing more after decluttering and sweeping your vehicle, that would get you close to clean enough.
While I haven’t yet purchased a handheld vacuum specifically for sweeping my vehicle, my niece swears it’s a game changer.
Keep a garbage box in your vehicle.
Notice, I did not say garbage bag. A garbage bag, especially a plastic shopping bag, quickly becomes another piece of clutter.
Replace the bag with a small box that sits on the floor of the vehicle.
Sit it on the floor where it’s easily accessible. Mine is on the floor, in the back, on the passenger side. I can reach my arm around the seat and drop in garbage without ever taking my eyes off the road.
Empty it each time you get gas.
Keep a microfiber cloth in the glove compartment.
When you notice the dashboard is dusty, give it a quick swipe with the microfiber cloth.
Clean the nasty cup holders.
The easiest way to clean cup holders is to wad up a damp microfiber cloth and swab around in the cup holder like you’re cleaning a glass.
Consider putting a cup holder coaster in the bottom to catch most of the yuck that spills.
Washable coasters catch any liquid and can be tossed in the wash.
Wash the inside of the windows.
This doesn’t need to be done as often as decluttering or sweeping, but when you wash your windows, you will me amazed at the difference.
Washing windows is a hundred percent easier if you use the right microfiber cloths
That’s all it takes to keep your car clean enough!
All of it is easy to do stuff.
None of it is overly time consuming.
Keeping your car clean enough is simply a matter of making it a priority and getting it done.
The challenge is actually making it happen!
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