Are we there yet? Cleanup tips post road trip
When I was young and idealistic, I swore that my children (at that stage they were pretend children who didn’t yet exist) would never create a huge mess by eating in the car while we travelled.
Many years later, with the hindsight of pragmatic parenting, I can tell you that you can indeed train your tiny children to be kind to cars.
I have two, and right from the time they could walk they learned to be careful when opening doors, not to stand on seats and be generally respectful of switches and buttons.
I’ll admit I’m much more conscious of these issues because of my job as a motoring writer because, 99 per cent of the time, I’m driving other people’s oftenexpensive cars. But the results speak for themselves.
In 17 years, not a single doording or broken piece of switchgear. True story.
But I’ll admit that the idea your kids will never eat in the car is pure fantasy.
Most expert advice does indeed say to keep food away from very young children in the car due to risk of choking, especially if they are in rearfacing child seats. Good advice.
Besides, teeny tiny humans pretty much go to sleep straight away once the car is moving. So save the food for stops in the journey.
But keeping older kids nonabusive on road trips is going to require in-car sustenance, solid and liquid. And that’s going to result in at least a few spills and stains. It will also result in said food coming up again if motion sickness is an issue.
The good news is that car upholstery is tough, durable and able to be cleaned when the worst happens. Which it will.
Professional grooming is always an option. An expensive one.
But, after a basic vacuum, you can clean up the car interior yourself with a few home ingredients. The methods are pretty much the same as you use use on home furniture and fabrics, except the car fabrics are probably a bit more durable.
Word of warning: Before you try anything, test it on a small area that’s not visible, to make sure you’re not doing any damage.
If you have baby wipes (and we know you have), then give one of those a try. You’d be surprised what they can lift out of seat fabric.
On cloth seats, the old favourite of soda water can be effective. Spray it lightly on the stain (don’t oversaturate), scrub gently and then dry with a clean towel. If it’s really bad, let it soak for half an hour.
No good? Try baking soda: Mix it with warm water in a ratio of 1:4, then use sparingly on the stain with a soft brush or toothbrush.
Vinegar can also be used, but make sure it’s a weak solution, about 1:16. Dab the mixture into the stain, scrub lightly with a soft brush and use clean water to rinse again.
Leather upholstery is much less likely to stain but also requires a lot more care to clean if it does. If you car is of the posh variety, it might well have come with special leather cleaners. There is also a multitude of special products available commercially.
But in an emergency, you can blot a stain gently with a cotton ball that’s been dipped in nail polish remover or alcohol. Test an area first, tread lightly and when you’re finished, clean up the area with warm water and perhaps a tiny bit of detergent.
A non-gel toothpaste can also work – just dab a little bit on the stain and gently rub with a toothbrush.
Cream of tartar is also brilliant as a natural cleaning agent. Mix a little with lemon juice, let it lift the stain for half an hour and then clean up with a damp cloth. Beware: the paste is effective but can have a bleaching effect, so test it first and it’s probably not the best choice for black leather. One top tip: whichever material and method you choose, light applications and reapplications (if needed) are better than overdoing it and oversaturating. Car upholstery in particular might be more durable than your sofa, but it’s also often thicker – so it’ll soak up more liquid and there’s more potential for water damage.
Another top tip: when motion sickness takes it toll and your child’s seatbelt is the victim, don’t panic, unbuckle and let it roll back into the recess.
Think about it. Yuk.