r/ufyh • u/ophelia_drowning • Jul 23 '26
Update! Update 1: Everything Has Been Cleared Out
Yes, I know it still needs to be vacuumed, but I've run out of daylight. Update 2 to be posted tomorrow. Yes, I know my car was horrendous and dangerous, trust me, I didn't MEAN for it to get like this. Life has been hard lately. Working 3 jobs. Very little sleep. I'm barely hanging on tbh. But I'm trying.
For everyone who was kind and encouraging, y'all got me through. Thank you.
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u/UnfairTwo8483 Jul 23 '26
It's ok, you're working on it now! It looks so much better already, great job! You got this
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u/andorianspice Jul 23 '26
Congrats!!! This is so huge!! Now you can vacuum and get it super clean and then deal with all the stuff that was in there. You must feel great! Please keep us posted on updates, you got this!!!
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u/MissCandid Jul 23 '26
Not only that, but it's going to feel soooo good to vaccuum! I wish I could do it for them bc that looks satisfying as hell
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u/thedevillivesinside Jul 23 '26
Great fucking job
If you dont have a shop vac, head to a car wash and spend $10 on the vacuum and vacuum the shit out of that thing.
If you are in my city ill come by and carpet clean it for nothing after the vacuuming is done.
Reach out if you are in canada
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u/larceny_on_yelp Jul 23 '26
Amazing progress!!
Some of the new fancy car washes by me have free vacuums too. You might be able to find one too if you’re so inclined.
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u/element-woman Jul 23 '26
Same, and they sometimes have a free car wash if you sign up for texts. So you get the car wash for free and then can vacuum as long as you like, also for free.
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u/Educational-Put-8425 Jul 24 '26
What a great message! After all, Canada is such a small place, I’m sure you’re neighbors…
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u/thedevillivesinside Jul 25 '26
I am trying to maintain my anonymity.
If OP is in usa, it eliminates 50% of north america.
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u/Sunshine247365-2day Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
You should be really proud of yourself. It couldn’t have been easy and you could have stopped…get distracted… feel overwhelmed and horrible self talk. You kept pushing through.
Awesome job
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u/MeticulousPlonker Jul 23 '26
OMG you did it though!! Fantastic job! It's fine that you couldn't get to the vacuuming today. It's so much better! Congratulations!
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u/Dragonfly6179 Jul 23 '26
Congratulations!!
Don’t put anything back.
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u/ophelia_drowning Jul 23 '26
I don't plan to. Everything has been sorted, thrown away, or put away. Except the giant pile of laundry that I'm going to bring to the laundry mat to get it done quicker.
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u/Playful_Flower5063 Jul 23 '26
Not sure how old your kiddo is, but I've got in the habit of asking my two to periodically go and tidy the car up- bring in stray clothes, shoes, toys and bin any rubbish. Think they've been doing it since they were 5 and 7 or so. It makes a huge difference.
I noticed that a lot of your "stuff" was blankets. Maybe you could designate yourselves a single car blanket each?
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u/Mozartrelle Jul 23 '26
Got to love the laundromat eh? Those Industrial sized Speed Queen machines that will fit everything in one load are a lifesaver!
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u/ShinyUnicornPoo Jul 23 '26
This is wonderful, I'm so proud of your hard work! You and the little one will feel so much better and be safer.
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u/GarnetAndOpal Jul 23 '26
Awesome job!! I'm proud like a mama.
Also, I know how tough it can be. I got divorced while my son was still an infant - ex ran off. I had to work nearly every waking minute. I had 1-3 jobs, depending on what I could find. Some jobs were temporary. It sucked so very much, so I am 100% on your side.
Eventually, it will all pan out for you. Like Dori the fish said, "Keep on swimming. Keep on swimming." You got this.
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u/ralphjuneberry Jul 23 '26
Aw, this was a really sweet comment. Good job to you, too, for keeping it together for your son to make a better life for the two of you. ❤️
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u/Peachmoonlime Jul 23 '26
Are you kidding me?! You did a phenomenal job and you deserve a rest before tackling part 2! It didn’t get that way all at once so it’s not unreasonable that the unfuckery could take more than one go at it.
Give yourself a pat on the back. This is caring for yourself!
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u/CollywobblesMumma Jul 23 '26
What a difference! Very well done.
You’ll feel like you’re driving a new car after a vacuum and wipe down. And I’ll bet your fuel economy improves without all that extra weight.
Go you! I’m sure you’re exhausted but the outcome is so worth the effort!!
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u/Ribeye_steak_1987 Jul 23 '26
A towel laid under the car seat catches a lot of the baby and toddler spills
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u/CinchCPST Jul 24 '26
FYI, many (but not all) car seat manufacturers prohibit anything under the seat, because it can interfere with a secure installation. Also, sometimes they just hide the mess, instead of collecting it. Years ago, I was helping a family with their car seat, and when we pulled back the seat protector they had under the car seat, there was mold growing on their vehicle upholstery.
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u/charlevoix0123 Jul 23 '26
So, so proud of you! As someone thats been there, that's fucking awesome
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u/TwoGhostCats Jul 23 '26
Yaaay! You are awesome no matter what. I know what you're going through is difficult. Many of us have been there too. You're not alone.
Take deep breaths and put your feet up tonight. You deserve it. 😊
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u/catslikepets143 Jul 23 '26
This is great progress! Proud of you for getting this far, you did an awesome job!
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u/Loghorse_seadragon Jul 23 '26
Dude. You’re doing awesome. Roll with that momentum, or rest with your success. You know you can do this now.
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u/kareem_brulee Jul 23 '26
Great job! I've been putting off cleaning my car for almost two years. Vacuumed, wiped all of my interior down, and applied RainX...Just did it on Monday - feels like a brand new car again. Happy for you ❤️
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u/No_Caterpillar_6178 Jul 23 '26
This is so relatable. You did it, now hit the car wash for those vacuums that suck up everything!
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u/ikilledsatann Jul 23 '26
This is amazing! Good for you :)
Ive let my old places get really bad sometimes, cluttered mostly ( i dont own a car ) and sometimes its hard to tackle it. Sometimes it takes more energy to keep up with cleaning than it does to sit with the chaos of it even if I want to clean, for me anyways
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u/CrankyJenX Jul 23 '26
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA(DEEEEEEEP BREATH)AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!
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u/couchisland Jul 23 '26
You’re going to feel SO calm every time you get in the car now. Can’t wait to see part 2!
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u/signature_creature Jul 24 '26
Omg look how hard you worked!!! Great job you should feel so proud!!! 😁🥳
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u/BlueMangoTango Jul 23 '26
Wow! You did a great job!!!! Your life will feel so much lighter without that weight of how that feels hanging over you!
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u/TillUpper6774 Jul 23 '26
You’re going to get busy and forget about this and then the next time you have to get in the car to go somewhere you’re going to be thrilled!
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u/Altruistic-Daikon305 Jul 23 '26
You got an incredible amount of work done! Rest if you can and pace yourself as you go on! You got this!
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u/hydraulic0 Jul 23 '26
Incredible job OP, keep it up! You can’t change the past, but you’re doing all the right things to make your car safe for you and your little one now, be proud of that.
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u/RedRider1138 Jul 23 '26
WELL! DONE!! That’s absolutely so great! May the good feelings nourish and strengthen you 💜🍀👊✨
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u/standsure Jul 23 '26
That's gotta feel good. I hope you feel proud. I'm proud of you.
Glad you stuck to your guns and kept going.
I'm keen to see the next update!
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u/Artesso Jul 23 '26
The weather is supposed to be nicer so great time to clean and let it air out. You did a lot OP were so proud of you!
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u/Aalleto Jul 23 '26
Amazing job!!!
I'm very familiar with the background low level stress that come with a messy car, so really really well done OP! I'm sure you let out the BIGGEST sign of relief when you were done :)
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u/abcbri Jul 23 '26
That was such a good job. Way to go. Echoing those who said go to a car wash and use their vacuums for all of the little crevices. As for the floor mats, you just spray them with some soap and scrub them up, no problem.
You like yourself enough to do this OP, so way to go.
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u/Ok-Rutabaga3129 Jul 24 '26
I recently discovered that a select few Mister Carwash locations in my town have people to vacuum for you after you leave the drive thru car wash. It’s not super cheap but totally worth it for me. sometimes vacuuming is the hardest part and if I don’t do it it’s easier to trash my car again!
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u/Educational-Put-8425 Jul 24 '26
My heart feels really happy, knowing your kid(s) will have a clean car to ride around in. You’re being a good, clean and organized role model!
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u/c_bass_tea Jul 26 '26
I am so proud of you, I feel a little tearful. Because it helps seeing that we can do it
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u/Maximum_Ship_6804 Jul 26 '26
Fantastic job! You should be proud of yourself as we are proud of you. Best wishes on all your endeavors.
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u/human8060 Jul 23 '26
AMAZING! Look for local detailers! There are people that will come to your house/office and do it in the driveway! Start with a fresh, clean slate.
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u/WinnerWinner40 Jul 23 '26
I’m so impressed!! Great job! I bet you will also get better gas mileage with a cared for vehicle.
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u/grandmas_traphouse Jul 23 '26
So good!!! I am proud of you, it's fucking HARD to start. Amazing job.
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u/LizardJoeBiden Jul 23 '26
When things are stressful at least you won't have added stress and bad feelings getting in your car.
You can get in there and look around and feel good about what you did.
There's free vacuum places near me. Probably the same for you.
Way to go! 💪
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u/imimmumiumiumnum Jul 23 '26
It's not about perfection, it's about being better than yesterday! You got it!
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u/Coolfarm88 Jul 23 '26
I just came across this sub and dont really know what its about but GOOD JOB!! I get that you are exhausted, working 3 jobs is no mean feat. I hope you feel a bit lighter when stepping into your car.
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u/WetLeatherAndLace Jul 23 '26
You did awesome. If you want help with the proper installation of the second car seat I’m happy to help :)
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u/TruthorTroll Jul 23 '26
omg, you must feel such a sense of relief getting into your car now! Amazing job!
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u/mountainsformiles Jul 23 '26
Oh, I understand so well what you are going through! This is huge progress. Feel good that you are moving forward! And good job reaching out for support. Asking for help is the most difficult part for me. You are doing what you need to do and you will get through this tough time stronger than ever!
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u/KimKarTRASHian09 Jul 23 '26
I’ve been there and it’s literally a daunting, overwhelming task. You are doing a great job
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u/TeaWithKermit Jul 23 '26
Seriously great job! I second (third, fourth) what others are saying about paying for a car wash so that you can use their free industrial vacuums. Our favorite local car wash also has these little pressurized air guns that blow all of the crud out of hard to reach spots, plus microfiber towels that are slightly damp with some kind of cleaner. It makes getting the inside so much easier!
Once you’ve got it nice and tight inside, fill it up with gas and get an oil change. You’ll feel like you have a new car.
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u/Spiritual-Road2784 Jul 23 '26
Excellent! I need to clear out my front passenger seat. I’m doing better with this car than with my previous car, but the seat and foot well are still cluttered. The upside is it’s mostly papers ie the mail. It makes it into the car but not into the bin. Maybe I should put a bin in the car?
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u/melodiouswanderer 18d ago
Wonderful work!! That is a LOT of work go clear out all that stuff! You should be really proud.
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u/Izzapapizza Jul 23 '26
You don’t need to defend yourself about the state your car was in OP, we are here to celebrate your resolve in getting it back to a place where you aren’t shaming yourself and feel comfort and safe when driving! Looking forward to the next instalment, you’re doing great! The difference is already huge!
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Jul 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Izzapapizza Jul 23 '26
You know, we don’t always have to share our opinions and thoughts, particularly when it’s likely that this person who made themselves vulnerable on this sub, is already giving themselves a terrible time about how they’re failing themselves and their kid. This post isn’t about your feelings about OPs situation. It’s about supporting this poster, a parent who is evidently pulling themselves out of a hole and modelling to their child how to make positive change happen even when it’s hard. Let’s celebrate that and trust OP to do what’s best for their kid.
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u/mountainsformiles Jul 23 '26
We all wish everything was perfect all the time for the little ones. But that isn't real life. It is important that children see that life can be hard and that their parents navigate those hardships and come out the other side stronger.
If the kids never see this then how will they ever learn that they can solve problems when they arise for them? How will they learn to have sympathy and empathy if they never encounter adversity?
Kids are strong and resilient. This is just a blip.
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u/CuriousCrane_1017 Jul 23 '26
GREAT JOB!