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1.   Clean out the car after every stop.   The best way to keep your car clean is when you get home everyday, make everyone get ALL of their stuff out.     This includes all toys, trash, school papers, etc.     If you make this a habit for yourself and your kids, it will become automatic.    

2.  Schedule a family car cleaning day.    Pick a day as your designated car cleaning day.     Have the kids help you throw away trash, look under the seats and organize your trunk.       Let them wash your car when you are done.    Grab your buckets, sponges, etc. and let them have at it.   It may not be the most professional job, but the kids will have fun and not see it as a chore.

3.  Organize your car.       Once you have cleaned your car, make a plan to keep it clean.     Put a trash bag/grocery sack or small trash receptacle in your car.        Organize the items in your glove box.    Use an envelope or plastic coupon organizer to store all of your papers in one place (car registration, insurance papers, etc).     If you are like most moms, you are always going back and forth from practice and games.      A plastic tarp is a good thing to keep in your car so you can spread it out before the muddy cleats come off or your sports chair that has been sitting in the dirt goes in.     They are easy to wash off and will keep the carpets in your vehicle looking new.

4.  Be prepared in an emergency.  Make sure that you have a first aid kit, tools, blanket, jumper cables, baby wipes (or any other wipes for spills) in your car at all times.      You never know when you will need these.    I keep all of mine in a large plastic tote bag in my trunk.

5.   Set rules for the car.     With 4 kids, it was always a fight as to where everyone got to sit, so early on, I had assigned seating.    This prevented any question as to where they would sit.      Also, some moms have a "No food in the Car" policy.     This is a good idea, but not always practical.    My rule was "if you drop it, pick it up", "if you open it, close it", and "if you bring it in, you take it out".

Take it from a veteran mom and now MiMi, it's your car and it is your responsibility to teach your kids and/or grandkids to respect your belongings and rules.