Busy Mom Quick Tip - Use Quart Bags To Keep the Car Clean!

As the mother of two children under the age of 5, I find that my car is often a great source of embarrassment.  Straw wrappers, Cheerio's, juice boxes, french fries, wet wipes and of course the often found "what-the-heck-was-that-thing" all seem to find their way into the floorboards.  Yes, in an ideal world, I would grab all trash every time I left the car and it would remain clean.  In reality, I am carrying a diaper bag, car seat and half eaten granola bar while coaxing a 4 year old to get out of the car and head in the direction of our destination.  Forget the trash, we're in survival mode!

A few years a go, I began to try to find a good way to keep up with the constant stream of trash that came my way.  I tried all of the little car trash can ideas, the special dashboard bags and everything seemed to be more trouble than help.  Alas, one day while walking down the aisle of Aldi, inspiration hit when I spied a bag on inexpensive quart size baggies.  I grabbed a box and stashed them in my cart.  When I got to the car, I put the bag in the center console of my Prius.  The Prius is set up with a tall narrow console so I tore the end off of the box for easy access and set it vertically.  They could just as easy be put in the glove box horizontally and opened the traditional way.

The quart bags are perfect because they are large enough to contain a couple of juice boxes and a handful of wet wipes but not so big that they won't fit into that handy holder at the bottom of the driver side door.  They are also sturdier than the sandwich baggies which makes them easier to use and fill.

Now, whenever I have something "icky" come my way, I can easily pull out a bag and put it in.  I put the bag in the driver door so that I can add to it.  The zipper feature is great for those hot summer months when a banana peel just might get the best of you by the end of a long shopping day.  It's also great to grab a baggie and do a quick pickup of tiny trash within reach at a stop light.  The trash and it's scent is contained and I'm able to grab it when I have free hands rather than trying to remember every time I go in.

(Also, I cannot tell you how many times I've grabbed a zipper bag to contain an outfit that has fallen victim to an unfortunate diaper situation, spit up situation, etc.)

Perhaps some day I will have time to keep my car perfect but until then, I will continue to use my baggie trick for easy maintenance.

Another great tip: ask for a car detail for Mother's Day.  That is my annual gift and it's so wonderful to head into the summer with a perfectly clean car.

Please share your tips for keeping your car clean and organized!!!