Car Chores For Kids by Age

The family car is a second home on wheels. It has a kitchen (the cup holders), a dining room (the back seat), a library (the floor), and a lost-and-found nobody has emptied since spring.

Kids help muck up the family ride, after all. So why shouldn't they help clean it? Car chores are a natural way to teach kids responsibility. Here's a list of car chores for kids by age. Kids can do the chores for their age group and every group below it.

Some jobs happen after every trip, some once a week, and some once a month or less. (For chores in every room of the house, see Chores for Kids by Age.)

Car Chores for Kids at a Glance

Car Chores for Kids Ages 2 to 3

•      Carry the toys and books they brought along back into the house

That's it. One job. But it's the job that keeps the car from turning into a toy store.

Car Chores for Kids Ages 4 to 5

Car Chores for Kids Ages 4 to 5

•      Carry in their backpack

•      Carry in their water bottle, jacket and shoes (yes, the shoes that came off somewhere on the freeway)

•      Put their own wrappers and trash in the car's trash bag

Car Chores for Kids Ages 6 to 8

•      Pick up all the trash in the car and empty the trash bag

•      Wipe up spills with a damp cloth

•      Vacuum the floor mats with a handheld vacuum, or the car with your help

•      Help wash the car (they're in charge of the hubcaps and the sponge fights)

•      Shake out the floor mats

•      Check under the seats for missing shoes, toys and that sippy cup. You know the one.

Car Chores for Kids Ages 9 to 12

•      Wipe the dashboard, console, door panels and cup holders

•      Wipe down the seats

•      Vacuum the seats, floor and trunk

•      Clean the inside of the windows with a microfiber cloth

•      Electronics patrol: round up the tablets, headphones, chargers and game controllers that have migrated under the seats, and put them back in their cases

•      Clean and shine the tires

•      Restock the car kit: tissues, wipes, a trash bag and a first-aid kit

Car Chores for Teens Ages 13 to 17

•      Wash and dry the car

•      Clean the car seats and booster seats (following the car seat manual)

•      Scrub the floor mats

•      Clean the outside of the windows and the mirrors

•      Rinse the undercarriage each spring to wash off road salt and grime

•      Check the tire pressure and windshield washer fluid, once you've shown them how

For a teen who's driving (or about to be), add: keep the car clean, top off the gas, and tell you when a warning light comes on. Your car, your rules.

The 2-Minute Car Cleanout

The secret to a car that never gets truly gross: nobody leaves the car empty-handed.

After every trip, everyone grabs:

1.     Their own stuff: backpacks, jackets, shoes, toys, books, water bottles.

2.     One piece of trash, at least.

3.     Anything that goes inside: groceries, library books, the dry cleaning.

And once a week, someone empties the car's trash bag. Rotate the job.

Carrying in your own stuff is a personal virtue, not a chore. The weekly and monthly jobs are the chores. (Here's how many chores to give each child.)

Car Cleaning Schedule for Families

Make the Car Easy for Kids to Keep Clean

Make the Car Easy for Kids to Keep Clean

•      A trash bag or small bin for each row, within kids' reach.

•      A back-of-seat organizer for books, tablets and crayons.

•      A bin in the trunk for sports gear.

•      A car kit: wipes, tissues, a roll of paper towels, extra trash bags and a first-aid kit.

•      A rule about snacks. Dry snacks only, or no snacks at all. Your car, your call. On the fence> See Dashboard Dining Yes or No.

Car Cleaning Safety for Kids

•      The car is off, in park, with the parking brake on and the keys with you, whenever kids are cleaning it. Kids never clean or play in a running car.

•      Never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute, even with the windows cracked. The inside of a car heats up fast, even on mild days. And lock the car when you're done, so kids can't climb in on their own.

•      Wash the car in the shade, on a cool part of the day, and keep little ones away from the street.

•      Use car wash soap, not dish soap. Dish soap strips the car's wax.

•      Follow the car seat manual when cleaning car seats. Most say not to machine-wash or soak the harness straps, because it can weaken them. Have an adult check that the seat is reinstalled correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What car chores can kids do?

Toddlers can carry in their own toys. Preschoolers can carry in their backpacks and toss their trash. Kids 6 to 8 can pick up trash, wipe spills and help wash the car. Preteens can vacuum and wipe down the inside, and teens can wash the car on their own.

At what age can kids wash the car?

Kids 6 to 8 can help wash the car with a sponge and a bucket. By 13, they can wash and dry the whole car on their own.

How do I keep the car clean with kids?

Nobody leaves the car empty-handed. Everyone carries in their own stuff and a piece of trash after every trip. Keep a trash bag in each row, and empty it once a week.

Can kids clean their own car seats?

Teens can, following the car seat manual. An adult checks that the seat is reinstalled correctly.

The Best Part

Once everyone's doing their car chores, the family car goes back to being a car. Not a snack bar, a toy box or the place socks go to disappear. And you'll never again have to apologize for the passenger seat when you give a friend a ride.

Keep Going

The car's clean. Here's where the kids can help next:

•      Chores for Kids by Age: Jobs for every room in the house, from toddlers to teens.

•      Yard Work With Kids: Outdoor chores by age, plus mower safety.

•      Weekly Chores for Kids by Age: Vacuuming, bathrooms, sheets and a sibling rotation.

•      Monthly Chores for Kids by Age: The bigger jobs that come around once a month.

•      Seasonal Chores for Kids by Age: Spring cleaning, fall prep and everything in between.

•      Living Room Chores for Kids by Age: The biggest room in the house, and a 10-minute nightly reset.

•      How to Vacuum Properly: 12 secrets to cleaner floors, plus how to teach kids.

•      Allowance for Kids' Chores: Should washing the car earn a little cash? The case for and against.

•      Organize the Family Car: Cleaning and organizing tips.

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