In my Clean out your Fridge post, I shared our secret family struggle.

Yes, I came clean, literally about my fridge issues and offered some solutions, but I think many of us have deeper secrets that lurk in the back of our vehicles.

Admit it.

Have you ever felt the panic that sets in when someone asks you for a last minute ride and you mentally think through just how bad the car looks and what gross things they might possibly sit on. I’m not just thinking of a toy. I’m talking living things.

Ictionary.com, a Clorox program, refers to that as Car-Posting: a moldy piece of food left in a car that literally starts to compost.

After decades of children, I admit, it happens and still happens (I couldn’t bring myself to add in the picture of the moldy half eaten peach from yesterday), but  we actually implemented a system that works fairly well for us now. Obviously, it’s not perfect, based on what I found yesterday, but 90% fool proof.

Aside from the soccer games, gold tournaments and twenty other obligations that pop up on our weekend calendar, if we are home on Saturdays, it’s a family chore day.

If fact, car decluttering and cleaning is our 16 year old son’s designated Saturday job and let me tell you, he loves it. 🙂

Over time, if left unattended, our van deteriorates into something out of a Sci Fi movie, so we implement my number one tip: clear the garbage every time you stop at the gas station.

I keep some small grocery bags handy in the back trunk, so when I fill up at the pump, we do a five minute clean out. Everyone looks around and grabs their mess and hands it to me to deposit.  All the newspapers, expired coupons, food wrappers, drink bottles and more are gathered in the bag, and we throw them away while I am pumping.  This keeps the huge messes at bay, and truly proves that many hands make light work.

We keep Clorox Wipes in our glove compartment so that when we have sticky messes, it’s dealt with immediately.

Now most Saturdays, our son’s CAR CARE duty is more manageable.

Here is a simple list that any of your kids can follow.

  • Grab two garbage bags – one for all garbage and one to collect the clutter that needs to be brought in the house and sorted.
  • Vacuum thoroughly the carpet, mats and cup holders.
  • Wipe down the dash, hand rails and doors. (For detailed cleaning of the dash board, a dry paintbrush gets into all the grooves. It’s amazing what builds up in there.)
  • Spray and clean windows and windshield
  • Freshen odors.

How do you keep your Car-Posting at bay?

Follow my Dealing with Messy Moments pinterest board where I embrace the mess side of my bedlam. 🙂

This post is brought to you by The Clorox Company. I have partnered with them to spread the word about Clorox’s Ick-tionary program. To share Ick-tionary terms and real life messes, visit [www.icktionary.com]. All opinions and stories are my own. Official Sweepstakes Rules