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Ask the Interpeeps
By Moriah on October 3rd, 2008
We were the first of our circle of friends (meaning, in our age group) to have a third baby. Most of the other families now have three, or are about to.
Goodbye small car, hello minivan.
One such friend (her children can be seen in the pictures below) recently asked me if I had any tips on keeping a big family car clean. I.e. containers, organizers, general tricks of the trade…
(“If you saw the inside of my van, you would not be asking me advice on how to keep yours clean.”)
So I ask you, oh wise interpeeps, any suggestions?
And on a totally unrelated subject, I also had another request for a good recipe using roasted peppers. So feel free to throw recipes in for that, too.
Don’t let us down.
9 Responses to “Ask the Interpeeps”
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Nobody likes this suggestion, but the best way to keep a large car clean is to empty it each time you get home (or at least at the end of each day.)
I keep a little dustbroom in our van and I use it to sweep out crumbs, etc. while I’m getting gas, or waiting for a child to get out of a lesson.
It also helps if the kids have backpacks or bags to keep car toys in, then they can just pile it all back in after each trip.
I know this is easier said than done, but after 9 years of owning a 15 passenger van – I know of that which I speak :)
No. clue.
I have three, and ever since the third came, my SUV has been a disaster. At first, the youngest was so all-consuming that I didn’t get after the other two to take their stuff in the house. Then the youngest started adding to the mess, and I was just too tired to get after her either. Then I tried to implement a “bring all your stuff in every day” policy. Which lasted exactly one day. I’m just glad now that most of the trash is in the side door pockets. But my 5yo usually has 12 stuffed animals and 3 pair of shoes in the truck at any given time.
Now I try to shovel it out about once a month.
Sorry. I’m no help at all, am I?
Put a small trash can in your car and have bags that go into that trash can stored in your car. It has done wonders for our car.
Beth
My dear friend Carey passed along her secret- on her dh’s payday she hits the auto car wash (the kind that has free vacuums after you run your van through the wash). This has really helped me keep it clean and organized. My big kids are a little older, but I also have them bring in their belongings and trash every time.
Ditto — “If you saw the inside of my van…”
Well. On trips we put a Walmart bag between the 2 front seats, looped around the 2 arm rests. Otherwise, I’d recommend a van in which the seats can come out or go flat into the floor for easy vacuuming with a full-size vacuum cleaner. It’s SO much better than using a hand vac.
And I know it seems bad when they’re young, but it can be so much worse when they are “full-size.”
When we had 3 kids SO close together, I don’t think we realized what it would be like to have 3 children in high school at the same time.
Oh ha! Yes- we are due for a van cleaning… probably tomorrow.
We were also the first of our friends to be expecting our third. I graduated with Andy and here we are expecting our fourth. Our kiddos are 4, 2, and 9 months. So yes. Our van is a sight to see!
I do not have any secrets for *keeping* it clean, but we do go to the car wash (with the free vacuum) every 2 (give or take a week) weeks and do an overhaul.
And when I saw overhaul- I mean OVERHAUL. Car seats come out and I shake them from every angle until I cannot possibly get anymore crumbs out. We take out all those rug-thingies and use the “rug cleaner” (They have them at some car washes) that somehow gets the gunk off of them. We vacuum every inch of the van and find all sorts of “treasures.” –Lost crayons, hairbows, pacifiers, sippy cups etc.) which is both good, and sometimes very gross (depending on the contents of the sippies…. :P
It doesn’t stay clean very long, but it could get a lot worse I suppose. And doing it regularly does keep it from becoming freakishly nightmarish.
Our van is not clean! With water restrictions – I can’t tell you how long it’s been since our van has seen a good washing. And vacuuming the van? Well – let’s just say a good week is when I vacuum the living room!
But I agree with Debbie – the only way I can stay on top of the clutter is to take everything out of the van when we get home. If I don’t – I’m sure to pay later when the dramas unfold …
“I can’t sleep! I don’t have my froggy!”
“Where is my schoolbag? I can’t go to school without my bag!!!”
I can keep my house clean, but my van is another story entirely.
I try to make the kids carry everything inside after school each day. That seems to help a bit, but it’s not completely effective.
Also, a trash container is a nice idea…if your kids actually remember to use it.
Seriously, I am SO not one to take advice from on this topic.
:)
Sorry, Moriah, but I had to laugh at this post…..I mean, I have seen the inside of your car….and well :o)
One of the times was when you had made a roadtrip to visit me and one of the others was the day you moved so I shouldn’t really judge:o)
My system is: finally sit down in the driver seat one day and realize that the trash is just too much. Shovel it all out onto the front porch and drive away. Later when I come home I just take all the trash off the porch over to the trash can. For some reason this two step process seems much more do-able then taking it all directly to the trash.