I have always been a perfectionist and neat freak...thank was until I kids. And, even though it has been 4 years since I have become a mom, I still struggle with not being able to keep up with things like housework, or get my to-do lists done each day. I have found that with kids, especially little ones, you can clean to your heart's content, but within a matter of minutes, they can turn the house upside down again.
Back before kids, I used to visit friends with kids and would see toys all other the place and wish I could help them tidy up their houses, as I always wanted to see things in place. They would tell me, "Wait until you have kids of your ow. You will see that cleaning your house, while still a must, is not a top priority. And, when you do find yourself with spare time, the last thing you want to do is walk around the house with a cleaning bucket cleaning from floor to ceiling." I would just laugh and think to myself that this would not be me. I would find time to keep the house in order and the dust and cobwebs at bay. And, now as I type this post, I can't help but notice the dust on the end table and toys scattered all over the living room floor that need to be picked up. I will get to it...in time! :-)
In addition to having a not so tidy house, kids also mean that your car will actually looked lived in. Before kids my car was also shiny inside and out. If you saw it, you would have thought it was a rental car, as it was kept up so well. Both my husband and I would take our cars to get cleaned on the weekends and spend time vacuuming and and wiping down the interior. The only things I would bring into the car were my laptop bag and work stuff - which I would take out by the end of the day. Eating in the car, with the exception of my AM coffee, was strictly prohibited, as I didn't want to find food on the floor or have the car smell. But, when the girls arrived, I found myself snacking on the go, and bringing finger foods for them to snack on, which usually ended up on the floor.
They also went against my rule of bringing things into the car, unless they were going to take it with them when we left. If you look into my car now, you will find toys all over the seat and floor, and the pockets of the front car seats are filled with books and DVDs to keep the girls entertained. Ha, is all I have to say. It took kids to make me realize that life is not all about having a clean house or car, and that time you do have should be spent with family, as kids are only little for a short time. Yes, the house needs to be kept up, but, there is time for that, and it doesn't have to pristine after each cleaning, as you know it will not stay that way.
I am slowly coming to terms with my OCD on cleaning, and can only laugh when I find goldfish snacks or even a french fry or two on the floor when I do get around to cleaning my car. Last weekend my husband and girls surprised me by taking my car (the family car) to get washed and vacuumed out. Then, when they returned the spent the morning cleaning out the inside. The girls put toys they had scattered throughout the backseat into collapsible storage bins, while my husband rolled up his sleeves and used an assortment of Refresh Your Car cleaning products, which I was recently sent to review.
Have you heard of Refresh Your Car? Don't worry as I hadn't either until I was sent a box filled with an assortment of Refresh Your Car products. I was in heaven -- well, that was if I had time to try them out. Every time I hoped to go to the car to clean or at least put a few air fresheners or oil diffusers in, I would get sidelined.
"Sanitize, protect and refresh with just a single wipe! Kills 99.9% of bacteria*, to ensure that your car is the cleanest place you'll ever go.
- Clean Wipes -- Kills 99.9% of bacteria while leaving behind a clean, refreshing scent and a natural finish.
- Detail Wipes -- Kills bacteria, leaves a fresh scent and includes a sunblocking agent to protect your car's interior. It also provides a matte finish.
- Protect Wipes -- Leaves a medium finish while protecting interior surfaces from damage and sun. Also, kills bacteria and leaves a fresh scent.
- Leather Wipes -- Specially designed to enhance leather and increase longevity of leather surfaces. Includes the same anti-bacterial and odor eliminating features of the other wipes.
Also in the box of goodies I was sent to try out was an assortment of their odor eliminating products, including Refresh Your Car Hanging Air Fresheners, Refresh Your Car Oil Diffusers, Refresh Your Car Odor Eliminating Auto Vent Sticks, Refresh Your Car Odor Eliminating Gel and even some fun Driven Dog Tags.
With the help of these odor eliminators I could finally get rid of the different smells that have lingered in my car, from fast food, vomit by my youngest (who is not a fan of long car rides), sweat, etc. These are smells that I have grown nose blind to, but that others could smell when they traveled with us -- embarrassing, huh? That is the life of a parent! :-)
As you get older your requests for gifts change. Instead of materialistic things, you find yourself asking for more time for yourself to have a massage, cook, read a book, or even clean your car or house. I kept telling my husband that I needed to clean my car. So, for my birthday, he did just that, with the help of my girls. :-) Not only was my day filled with "Happy Birthday" singing and handmade cards from the girls, but when we went for dinner, I got to ride in a clean car, reminiscent of my early days without kids. The leather seats sparkled, the dashboard had no signs of dust, the floors were clean and even the car had a nice "new car" smell to it. The only difference now is that my backseat was filled with two little ones, ready to make the car feel more homey and lived in. :-) And, you know what..that was fine with me...at least until the next time we got around to cleaning the car with Refresh Your Car products. :-)
If you car is in need of a good cleaning, why not pick up an assortment of Refresh Your Car products to fill a bucket with? Then, gather up the family, or just sneak away for a little while and give the family car a good scrubbing down.
Complete the cleaning by adding a few air fresheners or odor eliminating products to finally get rid of those smells you have grown nose blind to. Once done, take a picture or two, so that you remember that moment, and then pile the family in the car and enjoy an afternoon out. And, heck, don't stress over a not so clean car, as it is not the most important thing in the world -- family is!
To learn more about Refresh Your Car and their line of car care products, visit their website at http://www.
Don't forget to follow Refresh Your Car on their social media pages to stay up-to-date on new product releases, special offers and promotions, giveaways and more...
Refresh Your Car on Twitter -- https://twitter.com/
Refresh Your Car on Facebook -- https://www.
Refresh Your Car on Instagram -- http://instagram.
Refresh Your Car on Pinterest -- http://www.
--GIVEAWAY--
Thanks to the kind folks at Refresh Your Car, one lucky reader will win a car care package, similar to the one I was sent to review. The package will include...
- iTunes gift card
- Refresh Your Car Appearance Products (anti-bacterial) and Refresh Your Car air fresheners
- Refresh Your car microfiber towel
To enter this giveaway, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
*Refresh Your Car! is the only EPA approved automotive products that cleans, conditions, sanitizes and protects interior automotive surfaces. *Kills Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph) and Enterobacter Aerogenes.
Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
I havent cleaned my car since the summer.
ReplyDeletePinterest follow as mechelej
ReplyDeleteRC name; Mechele JOhnson
I havent cleaned my car in about 4 months. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteRafflecopter name: Mechele JOhnson
My granddaughter cleaned my car this last summer which was the last time it was cleaned.
ReplyDeletei cleaned my car last month too cold now
ReplyDelete[email protected]