Spring Cleaning the Car

We had a glorious day yesterday - 70 degrees and sunny! We ate dinner outside and my husband spent some time sprucing up the flower gardens. For you who live in warmer climes, stop gloating!

Spring Cleaning the Car

With all the snow we get over the winter, we are continually tracking muck into our cars during that season. I'm so happy that spring is here, which means when we clean our cars they might stay that way for a while!

But our biggest struggle is clutter. I read recently that women are more guilty than men when it comes to car clutter. Whatever the case, it's easy for that clutter to collect! Here are a few ideas to tame that trend:

- I ask our girls to look around them when leaving the car and bring any trash they see. They do draw the line at other people's tissues, however!

- Something I don't do often enough: reminding the girls that if they bring something into the car, they need to take it back out as they leave. Even if they are eating something on the way to school, they need to take it into the school when they go. Finding two yogurt containers upside down in the cup holder is not pleasant!

- I'm not a good waiter. So I try to remember to use the time while stopped at a light, waiting for someone, etc. to pick up trash and clutter. When we travel, I try to remove trash each time I get out of the car for a break.

- When we get snacks while traveling, I ask for a bag which we can use for trash.

- If you have children who like to bring toys along in the car, limit them to one toy. Just make sure it's not a container with a jillion little toys inside!

- If you allow eating in the car, opt for dry snacks rather than gummy ones. They are much easier to clean up with a vacuum and less likely to get enmeshed in the carpeting or upholstery.

- Make sure drinks have lids, especially when stored in cup holders on the door. Slamming the door and an open drink is not a good combination!

- We ask our girls to use the sidewalk to go to the car, even though it's a bit longer than cutting across the grass. That greatly reduces grass, leaves, and other unwanted visitors.

What do you do to keep the clutter out of the car? If you receive this by email, use this link to comment.

Spring Cleaning the Walls and Windows

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I made breakfast burritos this morning and tinted the eggs green. Thankfully it didn't keep anyone from eating them! And when we mixed in salsa, it turned a pretty disgusting brown. :) All for making those memories!

I don't know about you, but I'm just not in the mood to do spring cleaning this year. Maybe because we have had tons of snow, rain and cold weather up until just this last week. But I'll do it in bite-size chunks...

Spring Cleaning the Walls and Windows

Not my favorite chore by a long shot!! Each week in the spring and summer that we have girls, we try to think of a cleaning or yard chore we can do for about an hour. It's nice to have help and it teaches them how to manage a home at the same time. So if you have kids, let them enjoy this home management instruction - I'm sure they will be forever grateful! :)

We're going to start a room at a time and clean the windows and walls. I use Mr. Clean Magic Sponges to clean the walls. All you need is a sponge and a container of water. I bought a bunch of dishpans which we use for this chore, spa day pedicures, and other various uses. We do clean them out between various activities!

So everyone has their own sponge and dishpan. All you do is wipe down the walls and rinse out the sponge. You don't have to rinse the walls afterwards. I don't know what Mr. Clean did to his sponge, but it IS magic!

While we have the furniture moved out, we may as well wash the windows at the same time. I'm not a big proponent of newpapers and vinegar as so many are - don't like having my hands and other things turn black! Just window cleaner and paper towels.

While the furniture is moved out, my husband usually gets motivated to vacuum those spots we don't often see. Bless him!

As you know, cleaning is one of my least favorite chores, but I sure enjoy the rewards of a clean house! And I can stand anything for an hour - so can our girls. :)

How do you manage spring cleaning? If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, click here.


More blogs about spring cleaning:

Clutter Statistics - Motivation for Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning Using Household Items - Vinegar

Spring Cleaning Using Household Items - Baking Soda

If spring cleaning or just regular cleaning puts you in overwhelm, Three Steps to Clever Cleaning minimizes the time you need to spend cleaning!