Jan 21 2009
A Clean Car Makes For Happier Travellers
One thing we realized quickly with seven people in a car for a long (or even short!) roadtrip—-A dirty car can make everyone stressed. It is so easy to allow the wrappers and discarded papers, etc, to build up. As that happens, I always notice the kids and adults becoming more and more tense. So, we made a commitment to keeping the car cleaned up during our travels. Here are a few tips we have found helpful:
Make sure to pack along a small trash bag for each row of seats. I like to use handle bags from the grocery store; they can easily hook onto different areas of the car and can easily be tied shut to contain some odors if needed.
Make each child responsible for keeping their area clean. I put one child in each row in charge of their row. We change the clean-up person each day so it is fair and equal. My husband and I set a good example by keeping our areas clean too.
Empty the trash bags each night at the hotel or even at a gas station stop, if needed.
No matter the age of your children, take along some wipes to clean up messes. Even parents and teenagers need to wash hands or clean up a food spill at times.
