As particular as you may well be when it comes to keeping a neat and tidy car, having children can present somewhat of a challenge. In fact, according to research from Jelly Belly Air Fresheners, 53% of parents would agree their car is smellier after having children, for a variety of different reasons, while more than half (60%) of parents say they struggle to keep a clean car due to their children's mess.
A further 59% of parents confess letting their kids eat during car journeys, resulting in crumbs, stains, and left behind wrappers. It's easy to see why such clean-ups may feel so daunting amid the endless other tasks that a parent faces, however, there are ways to get your car sparkling once more, in spite of little sticky fingers.
Now homecare expert and bestselling author Lynsey Crombie - best known to fans as Lynsey Queen of Clean - has offered some top tips for parents looking to tidy up their motor, and maintain a cleaner environment going forward.
Speaking with the Mirror, Lynsey said: "Children create mess, they naturally take items into the car and leave them there, so they all start to build up. On a long journey parents often give them lots of snacks, which creates crumbs and rubbish.
"Children naturally get sticky fingers and will wipe onto the seats without even thinking about it and spill drinks without telling anyone. Younger children can sometimes even be sick too!"
Getting rid of car journey vomit
According to Lynsey, she will regularly receive messages from parents about stubborn spilled milk or sick lingering in their cars, even after they've given everything a good scrub.
She suggested: "I advise sprinkling the area with bicarb, to soak up the smell and then vacuum or brush away in the morning."
Time-saving techniques when cleaning out your car
Parents of young children most likely won't have tonnes of free time to spend cleaning out their car, which is probably one of the main reasons why 30% are only cleaning out the interior a handful of times each year.
Lynsey advised: "Remove rubbish from the car straight away, have a car bin or even a carrier bag to ensure this happens, travel with the window ajar to help banish odours, keep a small handheld vacuum where you come or in the boot of your car in so you can deal with any crumbs quickly, rather than having to get the big family vacuum out.
"Keep a mini air refresher in your car like the spritz from Jelly Belly Car Air Fresheners so you can spritz on a regular basis and use their car air freshener too!"
Take preventative measures before any disastrous spillages
Accidents will inevitably happen, especially when you've got excitable young children in the backseat. However, taking preventative measures ahead of any crumb explosions or juice puddles can help.
Lynsey said: "Use seat covers that can be washed, encourage your children to bring rubbish in with them, and tell someone if they have an accident. Show them how long it takes you to clean up, so they understand that this is an extra job for you which means less playtime for them."
Talk to children about the importance of keeping things nice and clean
Although tidiness may not exactly be top of the list of your children's priorities, talking to them about the importance of keeping things clean can be a valuable lesson.
According to Lynsey: "Guidance and encouragement are important from a very early age. Within reason, get children involved in basic household tasks as these are great life skills to nurture."
Do you have some cleaning tips to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
