The life of a travel sport mom is chaotic. I’m preaching to the choir, I know. Sports moms should receive a trophy chauffeuring their athletes and dealing with their muddy cleats, spilled snacks, and endless equipment. By the end of the season, my car is a TOTAL mess! But I’ve learned a few tricks along the way so here are some practical tips for keeping the car clean and maintaining your sanity!
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Those Muddy Cleats
It’s always amazing to me how such little feet can collect so much mud and wet grass at the end of a game. And this mud and wet grass inevitably ends up inside your clean car. Ugh.
Side bar- I remember one of my son’s first lacrosse tournaments it rained The. Entire. Weekend. Like from the moment we drove up to the fields on day 1 to the moment we pulled out of the parking lot on Sunday afternoon. The stench of sweaty, wet socks still haunts me and made me question whether we needed to switch sports as a family.
But I digress.
Rule #1 when kids have muddy cleats is to remove them and place them in a bag or an old towel. You can clean them when you get home but for now, put those bad boys away. Here are a few shoe bags that I always keep in the car.
As I mentioned in my other article on little tricks for sports moms, I always keep an old towel and blanket in the car. You never know when they’ll come in handy.
Rule #2 is to have them put on slides or sandals because they can’t walk around barefoot and you don’t want their sweaty feet getting all over your seats. I know kids are all about Crocs these days, but I prefer something with a little more cushion. Personally, I’m a big fan of these slides.
Less Messy Snacks
I write a LOT about snacks and meals. Probably because healthy eating and life on the go is a difficult combo. But there are so many great snack options out there these days- even great ones that won’t leave your car a total mess!
When my kids were young, I used to buy large boxes of Goldfish and Cheez Its for the car. And then at some point I realized that I was tired of vacuuming up orange crumbs! So now I carry around snacks that don’t leave a mess of my car. Cheese sticks, trail mix, and protein bars are crowd pleasers in my car. I also try to keep some fresh fruit- apples and grapes- so there are more options than just carbs.
Deep Clean Family Bonding
Nothing says “family bonding” like detailing your car at home together, right?!? Okay, the family bonding part may have a tinge of sarcasm, but the car cleaning doesn’t. My kids are just a few years away from driving so I try to give them “life lessons” when I can. Accountability for your actions and respect for things are two of those lessons.
A cordless vacuum is your best friend! If you don’t have one, you definitely should invest in one because they’re so useful, especially for the car.
Plastic Bag Stash
One of the easier sports mom tips for keeping the car clean is to keep a few grocery bags stashed in the car door for easy trash collection. When I’m 10 minutes from home, I usually pass a grocery bag around the car and ask all the kids to put any trash they see in the bag. Even other kids who routinely ride in my car know the drill!
Supplies Handy
The handheld vacuum stays charged inside the house, but I keep car cleaner spray and leather wipes in my car so the cleaning is quick, easy and painless. Well, at least as painless as car cleaning with teens can be. And regardless of how old my children are, I always keep baby wipes in the car.
Before you laugh and say, “these tips for keeping the car clean will never work with my kids”, just try it a few times. Negotiation and compromise are strong tools with kids. And once they’ve put in the work to clean the car, they will encourage their siblings and friends to keep it that way!
So there you have it, sports moms! With these 5 tips for keeping the car clean, you (and your car) can survive the muddy elements of mother nature and keep cheering on your athlete!
Looking for other tips on healthy snacks and meals for your family? Check out these articles!
Easy Weeknight Dinners for Sports Moms
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