10 Car Hacks To Help Keep The Car Clean With Kids

If you’re sick of your child’s backpack never being zipped and everything inside flying out when you take a turn, hanging it up might just save your sanity. The Amooca Universal Car Headrest Hooks install in seconds, fit any make and model of car, and are sturdy enough to hold backpacks, handbags, and lunchboxes up to 13 pounds. Choose from four colors to match your interior perfectly.

Review: “I saw that a friend of mine had hooks over her driver’s head rest to hold backpacks for school drop off. I found this less expensive version (she bought hers at a boutique) and bought them for the same purpose. I really like them for keeping the backpacks off the floor. It’s easy for my kids to grab them in the carpool like. I’ve also used the hooks to hold my bag and other shopping bags. Overall, I’m really happy with the purchase.”

The most common sense advice for how to keep your car clean with kids is to make sure their feet are spotless before hopping in. Using a handheld Rubbermaid Commercial 8-Inch Counter Brush, just swipe sand off your little one’s legs and feet after the beach so you don’t have to try in vain to vacuum it all out later. Its bristles are specially shaped to grab fine particles without scratching. This would work for any kind of dirt, clay, or other shoe-transmissible crud too.

Review: “This item is made for commercial environments. However, it’s very useful for home use. The handle is solid and sturdy. The bristles feel like a soft tooth brush.”

You’ve probably been there: driving down the road and your kid hands you their empty fruit snacks wrapper or a half-eaten bag of Goldfish. Instead of cramming it in your car door and forgetting it, consider using a Car Trash Can, like this one from HOTOR. It comes in eight colors to match your car’s interior, has a two-gallon capacity, and is 100% leakproof to ensure it keeps even the grossest messes contained. Reviews suggest it’s easy to clean and even doubles as a snack cooler for road trips.

Review: “I purchased this out of frustration with my kids. As a single mom of 3, budget can get a little snug so we were using recycled shopping bags for trash in our van. Of course, I was usually the one switching out the bag, and cleaning up the overflow. Moms, you know what I’m talking about! I didn’t think this would be a save all, but so far it’s amazing! We tested the leak factor before installation, and it held a gallon of water overnight with no problem. I hung it on the back of the console so everyone can reach it which was a breeze with the attached straps. Mesh pockets on the front and both sides, easily store whatever you might need readily available. In our case, it fit loose sanitizer, sunscreen, chapstick/lip gloss, tissues, wipes, on the go snacks, a reusable water bottle and some spare plastics cutlery that used to be scattered through the second rows, with room for more. Ride share folks could store waters, chargers, snacks etc.”

Any car ride with a kid requires supplies: wet wipes, water cup, snacks, toys, or a tablet. The SURDOCA Backseat Car Organizer, which drapes over the back of your front seat, corrals all those items to keep the clutter contained (and in your child’s reach so you’re not turning around to hand them everything). These organizers are machine washable and sewn with durable seams so it will hold up to wear and tear.

Review: “Love this organizer, it is affordable and great quality. As a mom I needed a place to hold my car tissues, hand sanitizer, and extra stuff that would be at reach for my kids. Extremely easy to put on the back of my car seat and has enough pockets to stay organized. A must have!”

Kids = messes. Whether it’s a spill, potty accident, or a car sickness episode, these ALVABABY Cloth Diaper Wet Dry Bags are designed to keep moisture inside (and away from all the cloth in your car). The bags come in a set of two and are made of 100% waterproof polyester. They measure 11.5 by 14 inches, making them small enough to keep in the glovebox but big enough to hold an entire outfit if need be.

Review: “These work wonderfully. I use them to keep my baby girl’s wet swimsuit and reusable swim diaper and my swimsuit after her swim class. Sometimes the reusable swim diaper gets soiled and after rinsing it too goes into the bag. I have never had a problem with leakage from the compartment I put the wet gear into from outside of the bag or between compartments. It holds the wet in and keeps the dry from getting wet. After each use I empty the contents of wet items into the tub and turn the bag inside out to clean the inside. They are extremely easy to clean. The wet stays in the lining of the bag so well that The outside of the bag is never wet when I clean it. Definitely recommend these bags.”

Armor All’s Protectant, Glass and Cleaning Wipes come in portable containers so you can keep them in your car for convenient cleaning. The wipes are lint-free and won’t leave a weird residue on your hands, so they’re great for on-the-go. Use the glass wipes to remove smudges and fingerprints from windows, cleaning wipes on seats and surfaces, and the protectant wipes to restore shine to rubber and plastic areas.

Review: “Great purchase. I keep these close at hand to keep the windows and interior of my car in great condition. I have dogs, so things can get out of hand quickly. I am able to grab one wipe and clean the glass easily. Love this set.”

Is your kid a seat kicker? Aside from it being annoying, it can seriously scuff up the back of your seats. Enovoe’s Back Seat Protectors are designed to fit any make or model of car, covering the entire seat back after a few minutes of installation. They’re waterproof so wet shoes won’t hurt them, and they wipe clean so you don’t have to remove and reinstall them to clean.

Review: “I first bought a pair of these in 2016. I bought another pair in April 2018 when our other child became forward facing. By December, one of the mats had come loose at the seams, but the other 3 were still like new. I took a picture and emailed the company. In less than 24 hours, I had a response from one of the founders of the company apologizing for the mishap. He made it right more than I expected with a full refund and replacement mats! All that to say, the mats work great! They have held up since 2016, and the company stands by their lifetime guarantee noted in the listing.”

The longer you let the crackers and Cheerios ride around in the floorboard, the more likely they are to get crushed and really ground into your car’s interior. So, don’t wait until you can use a vacuum at the gas station — this HOTOR Car Vacuum Cleaner can ride along with you to clean as you need. It plugs into your car’s lighter outlet, includes four attachments for nooks and crannies, has an 11-foot cord so you can reach the whole interior, and includes a washable HEPA filter.

Review: “I’ve bought a few car accessories from this brand and thought why not! I’m glad I got it! It’s compact and has great suction and I love that I plug it right into my car to use it instead of having to recharge it like my other handheld vacuum. That vacuum is convenient for the house but not so much for my car because I’d take it in to charge it and wouldn’t have it in the car when I needed it. With this little guy I’ve been able to clean crumbs and sand from my seats and floorboards. Definitely one of my favorite car accessories.”

If your kids aren’t big enough to reach the seat in front of them, or other organizers tend to slide around in your car, this Lusso Gear Car Seat Organizer is for you. It secures into any seat using the seatbelt so it’s held in place, within your child’s reach. It’s large enough to hold tablets and coloring books, and has pockets for smaller items and cup holders for drinks. It comes with a lifetime warranty, so you know it’s made to last (and if it doesn’t, you’re covered).

Review: “Normally on longer trips with the kids, I sit in back and help with snacks, drinks, games, etc…This helps keep everything organized. I’ve tried cup holders, pencil boxes, the organizers you put on the seats in front of them. None of them really worked. This fixed all the issues we had with previous products and then some. With this, I filled it up in the house. Brought it out to the car, and looped the seat belt through the loop. No fuss to install what so ever.”

Next time that cup of juice hits your floor, you won’t have to cringe, because you were ready with the king of all car hacks: rubber floor mats. The Armor All All-Season Trim-to-Fit Floor Mats grip the carpet below to stay in place, and are easy to wipe clean or remove for scrubbing in the event of a major mess. They’re made to withstand temps below zero and over 100 without warping, so no worries about the climate where you live, and you can trim the edges to fit your car like they were custom made.

Review: “I like their newness and cleanliness. I already had a spill and couldn’t get to it right away (something my kid left in the back seat that fell forward onto the floor). When I got to a rest stop, I used rags to sop up the moisture and took the mat into the bathroom and ran it in the sink and everything came right off. I put some soap on it and rinsed again to make sure nothing sticky would be on it and put it back in the truck. When I went back to check on it the next day, the mat was dry and not sticky, keeping it Armor All shine.”