Thursday, August 15, 2013

35 UHeart Organizing: Speed Clean Your Car

Our automobiles can literally become our second home.  Driving to weekly sporting practices and events, long commutes to and from work, family road trips or just the fast pace lives that we all tend to lead which requires us to be in twelve places at once.  It is a good idea to keep them clean and tidy, but not always the first thing on our list of things to do each day, and the thought of cleaning out our cars may even be a bit daunting.  However, my gal pal Casey from Pretty Organized, is here today to share some super quick tips for keeping your car in tip-top shape.


Cleaning Shortcuts: How to Speed Clean Your Car in Five Minutes

I had a friend who needed a ride at the last minute, and my cluttered car needed a facelift -- fast!

Time-Saving Tools:
  • Glass Cleaner {wipes, spray, water & a rag -- pick your poison!}
  • Cleaning Wipes {I use wet wipes, but you can use special car cleaning wipes, too}
  • Timer
  • Trash Bag
  • Lint Roller
  • Duster {mine is from Flylady}

Speed Cleaning Play-by-Play:

I grabbed my timer {it keeps me moving quickly!} and got to work.

1 minute, 30 seconds: Throw away the trash & take the other junk into the house. Stuff that needs to stay in the car gets put in the trunk or in its respective cubby.

30 seconds: Dust the dash, vents, etc.

30 seconds: Wipe the inside of the windshield and front & passenger windows {bonus points if you get the back windows!}

30 seconds: Wipe out the cup holder & console

2 minutes: Use a lint roller to quickly get rid of the dog hair on the upholstery, then hit the floor to grab dirt, leaves, etc. on the carpet.

BOOM.  Car = not embarrassing.

If I had had more time, I could have used my dust buster, but the lint roller worked really well & was super fast. WIN!


Don't Think You Can Do It In Five Minutes?

Here are some quick tips for keepin' it clean on the go so that you'll never need more than a few minutes to tidy:
  • Throw out trash & tidy up while you're getting gas.
  • Whenever you leave the car, try to take whatever you brought in with you so that clutter doesn't pile up. 
  • Keep that lint roller in the car for easy crumb clean-up {it's like having a little travel vacuum!}
  • A small pack of wet wipes can handle everything from cleaning hands to wiping out cup holders, etc.
  • I stash my duster & extra trash bags in the door pocket of my car, and I fold the bags like little paper footballs to save space. {Here's the tutorial from A Lil Bird Told Me.}

How do you keep your car neat & tidy?



"My name is Casey, and I live in a sweet, tiny little house in Delaware with my hubby & our two adorable rescue dogs. As a longtime fan of Jen's phenomenal organizing skills, I am absolutely THRILLED to be a contributor for IHeart Organizing!  
 
I used to be a total mess, but after I let go of the idea of “perfect,” I found freedom. I stopped trying to fit the mold & learned how to make organization work with my natural habits, and I have become obsessed with creative organizing solutions ever since! When I'm not drooling over the latest amazing project features over here, you can find me happily tinkering away on my own blog, Pretty Organized, where I share my addiction to aesthetics, small space storage ideas, DIY projects, and all things aqua!"

35 comments:

  1. Great tips! I think it is very important to try to remove any trash or kids take their toys/books with them each time you get out of the car. It doesn't always happen but it helps!

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    1. Thanks, Christina :) I wish I'd been trained with the "clean as you go" maintenance mentality from an early age -- that's SO awesome that your kids are already building smart habits!

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  2. I'm a sales rep and mother of two toddlers and often have customers in my car. To always be ready, I have a monthly pass at the local drive through car wash. I keep a Swiffer duster tucked under the front seat and a travel size of baby wipes in the glove box. Twice a week I run through the car wash. While on the wash conveyer belt, I dust the entire front dash and console, pick up any trash to stuff in the provided baggie, and use the baby wipes to clean up grime in the cup holders. Every other week I put whatever quarters have collected into the vacuum and get the floors and seats. My car is normally spotless, and it takes a few minutes each week. Bonus fun is that the kids think the car wash is a blast!

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    1. That is brilliant, Melissa!! I didn't even know monthly passes existed -- I am going to see if I can get one the next time I go to the car wash! What a great way to keep yourself motivated (kinda like a gym membership for your vehicle, lol!)

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  3. I love the idea of using a timer - I get sidetracked so easily while doing anything in my life. Also, great tips on the lint roller!

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    1. Katie -- I use my timer for everything! It's been a total lifesaver (I get sidetracked really easily, too). I hope it helps you!!

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  4. Thanks for sharing your tips. I tend to find that getting into the mindset of cleaning your car is the hardest. Once you've decided you're going to it, it's easier than cleaning the house.

    I always keep a plastic bag in my car (folded like your blue one :-) and baby wipes. Baby wipes come in so handy for cleaning.

    Sometimes if I'm stuck in traffic jam I'll take a baby wipe out and start cleaning. Might as well do something whilst I'm sitting there!

    pso

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    1. Exactly! I always feel kinda funny when I bust out my car duster at a red light or while at the gas pump, but I'm also really proud of myself when my car looks good!

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  5. Oh, I could really use this post. I recently found a family of baby mice living in my car! Not even kidding. Sigh...

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  6. Love the tips! My car is always such a mess. I need to grab some of those windex wipes!

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  7. Everytime I buy gas I use a wet wipe on my hands and then I run it over the dash, wheel, etc. before I toss it out. Also...while gas is pumping toss any trash!

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  8. I have a little hand vacuum in the car. That helps a lot. I keep a large tote bag in the trunk and once a week I speed clean and dump everything in that bag and bring it upstairs. Then I sort through it in 5 minutes. Done!
    www.authenticparent.org

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    1. Wow! Does the vacuum run on AA batteries or something? Where did you find it?? (I am WAY too excited about this lol!)

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    2. Hi, Casey,
      The vacuum I found at Bed Bath and Beyond. And I used my 20% off coupon. I am sure you can find it in other places. I charge it at home and bring it to the car. The charge lasts a whole car cleaning! We have a Honda Accord.
      Actually, I gave the vacuum as a Fathers Day gift to my husband one year. Wasn't romantic but after 11 years of marriage having a clean car is a priority and we don't fight about the messy car.

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  9. I keep a garbage can just inside the garage on the driver side so as I pull in everyone can pass up their trash and I can toss it.
    I also keep a small hand broom (mine is from ikea) in back. Have swept more than one full bag if popcorn out at the park for the ducks.

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    1. GREAT tips, Andy!! I love the drive-through trash can idea -- so smart!!

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  10. Keeping the car clean....our ongoing struggle! I have pulled into our supermarket car was and armed each of my kids with a role in cleaning our car; vacuum, wipes, glass cleaning. We make a good cleaning service when we put our minds to it!

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  11. So useful. I've only recently started driving on a regular basis because my boyfriend and I share a car. I find it tough keeping tabs on the mess he seems to create, so ill be sure to keep these tips in mind! Wet ones and a quick clean when filling up on gas are my favourites. Thanks!

    {lamourcheznous.com}

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  12. With regards to the rubbish inside the car - here's one easy rule. You have to look after the seat you sit in. And apply the same rules to the car as you do to your house. You wouldn't sit on the dining table with rubbish at your feet, yet something this seems to be acceptable in the car!

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  13. I have an old plastic cereal container with a large circular opening (to fit takeaway coffee cups) that I use as a bin. Line it with small plastic bags from the grocerer and it works a treat. Idea orignally came from pinterest somewhere.

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    1. Yes! I totally want to try that. Does the container slide around a lot?

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  14. Reading this post was perfect timing for me. When I was in of my car today I saw of all the crumbs left everywhere by my kids and made a mental note to spend time cleaning out my car this weekend. I will definitely use your tips. Love that you can get it done so fast.

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  15. How simple! I just love the practical ideas!

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  16. I SO needed this! I was just de-trashing my car last night when I mentioned to my dad that Honda now has a mini-van that comes with a car vac built in! I was impressed but he wasn't. He just uses the shop vac...

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    1. WHAT?! Honda thinks of everything!

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  17. Hi Jen,

    With two kids, it's often hard to keep my car (*ahem* minivan) clean for very long. However, I use Clorox wipes for the doors and leather wipes for the seats. I also keep a small tote in there for coupons and other loose papers so that they're not strewn about. Thanks for the organizing tips!

    Best,
    Erin
    http://www.erinbettis.com

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  18. hi what is so wonderful about blogging are the aditional tips we get when reading the comments.

    I take my car once a month to the car cleaner it costs me £10 for inside and outside clean and vacumn.
    As i am mostly the only person in the car its up to me to keep it clean I fail miserably

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  19. This is awesome Casey! I love using the timer and never thought to use it on my car!

    Annie XO

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  20. I have 2 kids, still in car seats. Between their seats they have a cubbie for toys, and at 2 & 4, they are now pretty good about putting their "car toys" back into it. Only big toys, with no small parts are allowed as "car toys". Also, no food allowed in the car and drinks only in sippy cups. I have an empty grocery bag in the back in case I need to do a quick pickup of trash. And I have a tub of lysol wipes on hand should I need to clean. Sometimes I do a quick once-over whilst I wait for the kids to get to the car.

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  21. One of the first decisions I made when we got our car was to keep a trash bag in the car. Considering that this is our first shared car and that in his old car, my fiancé used the floor of the passenger seat for trash, this was a necessity. When the bag is full, it gets replaced by a new one from the roll that's stored beneath the passenger seat. Also very helpful when you suddenly need a bag for anything ;)

    Also, tissues and wet wipes are always available in our car (a life saver in case of spills!), as well as a small folder for coupons etc. Today, I furthermore decided to keep a swiffer in the car as well because I know that I have a hard time remembering to take one to the car with me when it gets dusty... So far, it works pretty well :)

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  22. Great ideas! My car needs a clean a big time and will deffinitely use your advice :)

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  23. I have always been in the habit to remove any trash from my car when I get out. I treat my car like my home. The car cost a lot of money so I always keep it trash free. The problem I have is the dust. I can go to the car wash and one hour latter, there is dust on my dash board. We just bought a new car and I have tried different stuff to keep it dust free. My go to is the Swiffer Duster. The dust sticks to that thing. I love it. I keep it in a basket in my trunk with leather wipes. Now, if everyone could keep their hands off the windows...I would be set!!!

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