Clean Sweep, Week 1

This week I'm working on my Physical Environment, #2 which says: My car is in excellent condition. (Doesn't need mechanical work, repairs, cleaning, or replacing.)

Hmmm...well, let's see...my car doesn't need to be replaced or need mechanical work! Yay!

What I DO need to work on are repairs and cleaning. I recently found out that the hard plastic that covers the headlights are about $425 PER SIDE! Mine is so etched that the light coming through is very dim. However, Honda has some magical process that can clear those lens covers for about $80 total. So, I will make an appointment for that this week. Also while I'm there I'll check to see if they can do anything about the tiny chips of paint that are missing from my hood. Because it snows here they put down gravel, etc so unless a car has a clear bra on the front there will be little rusty spots on the hood.

Ick. I'm looking forward to having bright lights again!

Next up--cleaning.

My biggest issue is that I don't take EVERYTHING out of the car that I put in it that day. Eventually things start piling up. The kids don't help, they toss everything on the floor like it's a trash can but why shouldn't they, the car is a mess!

Have you ever heard of the Flylady? This is what she has to say about cars:

Don’t eat in your car. If you do, then bag up the trash as soon as everyone is finished. The bag the fast food came in is a great bag to hold the trash. When you get out of the car, find a trash can.

Every time you get home, empty the car of things you put in it before you left. It will keep your family safe from UFOs (car bound Unidentified Flying Objects).

I've stopped blanketing my horse but for some reason those blankets are now living in my car! The orange chair was from this summer. Important things like a few ropes, an umbrella and a tire iron can go in a bin instead of scattered.

While you are filling your car up with gas; play a game with the children to pick up the trash in your car. Then throw it away.

Keep things in your trunk, confined in zippered bags or under a cargo net in your van or SUV.

Establish a day for blessing your car. Fill it up, Clean it out and Shine it up! We do it on Fridays. 

This is a Slight Edge* thing right? When I make these few tiny things a habit (with the help of my planner!) then I'm on an upward track, going in the right direction!

I plan on using a Purple Rag with just water (It's magic, I promise! I'm not sure why they are different than microfiber cloths but they really are better!) to clean the inside of the windows, then wipe off the seats and the dash.

Next I'll put "car wash/vacuum" in my planner on Fridays. The car wash I like ($3!) has a bunch of super sucky vacuums, so I never have to wait (God forbid). 

Now, I have to admit that I don't often get my car washed in the winter (to the detriment of my car) because it snows in Colorado and it just seems pointless. My car is going to be gross in just a few days so why bother? But there is a feel to a clean car isn't there? To me, it's just relief. A lightness. Yes, it's going to get dirty again but on Friday it will be clean once more. I'd rather feel a lightness of being than the draggy feeling of, "Well if it can't be perfect then why bother?"

* “The truth is, what you do matters. What you do today matters. What you do every day matters. Successful people just do the things that seem to make no difference in the act of doing them and they do them over and over and over until the compound effect kicks in.”
― Jeff Olson, The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success