KEEPING A FAMILY CAR CLEAN CAR CARE
Little people can make a big mess on a road trip. Here’s how to avoid the worst of it.
For more tips on making your summer road trip seamless, we continue our AA Road Trip Ready series with some tips on keeping your car clean and maintained when you have kids.
You can’t really avoid general wear and tear on your car from the elements, but regular maintenance makes damage much more manageable.
Inside, it can be a completely different story and there are some car interior mishaps that are almost impossible to control. If you’ve got children or grandchildren, then you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
Rear seats When you’re travelling with children, the back seats usually end up accumulating the most mess, especially if you’ve got a toddler who won’t behave unless they’re sitting with food in hand. Before you know it, the back seats look like the scene of a biscuit-factory explosion.
The best protection is a hard-wearing seat cover, particularly on the lower seat squab. If you can get one in an easy-wipe material such as vinyl, even better.
If you haven’t been using a seat cover and it’s already too late for the seat squab, you can do a good job of cleaning up with the upholstery cleaning machines found at selected petrol stations.
Once done, you have a clean slate again which can be preserved with a protective cover.
Front seats There’s no escape for the driver and front-passenger seats either. These are often prone to wear and tear on the back as children tend to kick or slide past them as they rush in and out of the vehicle.
Again, we’d recommend buying a whole seat cover or a kick mat that protects the back of the front seats from damage. If you can find a multi-storage apron — these usually fit over the front passenger seat — even better.
Carpet can also suffer. A day at the beach, for instance, can result in grains of sand reappearing for months or years down the line.
If you’ve got slightly older children who are into their sports, you might be fed up that they ignore your request to wipe their dirty boots or trainers before hopping in the car.
The original mats that come with a car are often carpet and, although they may offer some protection, they’re generally not as good as heavy-duty, aftermarket rubber mats. These may not be as aesthetically pleasing, but they’re far easier to clean and maintain. If the odd soft drink gets spilled, the mats can be easily hosed or wiped down.
Keep a packet of cleaning wipes on hand. These can be tucked into the pocket found behind most seats, or other storage compartments. Our pick would be Big Wipes, which you can buy from aa.co.nz/shop from $17.99; these are super-tough on dirt and grime, but kind on your hands.
Exterior The outside of your car isn’t completely safe from damage.
Watch out for sunscreen getting on the paintwork of your car — some sunscreen products may react with the paint, leaving small hand prints and white marks on the body work. If you spot them early, they’re usually easy to remove with a quick polish.
If the children tend to play near or around your car and minor scratches occur, a light coat of some clear nail varnish can help erase them.
We recommend that you keep a quality, easy-to-store car polish on hand. Our pick would be Flitz Polish Paste, which you can buy from aa.co.nz/shop from $44.99, a supreme solution for cleaning, polishing, deoxidising and protecting many different surfaces including metal, fibreglass, plastics and painted surfaces.
Keep it clean. We recommend having regular clear-outs of your car; spillages over time can become much harder to clean, and in some cases rather smelly.
Make sure you have plenty of paper towels or cleaning wipes on hand for any sudden spills, and bags for rubbish.
The AA wants to remind all motorists to ensure that their vehicle is road trip ready before heading off this summer, with an upto-date vehicle service and WOF.