How to Keep Your Car Organized

We are certainly driving our cars less during this COVID-19 pandemic. Just maybe then it is the perfect time to get them organized. How to keep your car organized once life resumes to “the new normal” is perhaps a better question to address, and these tips will help you accomplish that more beneficial goal.

Declutter Your Car – The first step to regaining control is to remove all unnecessary items from your car such as the obvious: trash. Then empty out the glove compartment, middle console, pockets in the doors, items on the floor and seats, and finally the back end or truck of your vehicle. ONLY put back what you deem absolutely necessary.

Keep Necessities in Your Car – The goal is to only have essential items in your vehicle. You shouldn’t allow your car to be your rolling junk drawer or storage unit. It is so much easier to keep your car clean and decluttered by ONLY transporting the essential items such as car registration, sunglasses, phone charger, phone mount for hands-free use, trash receptacle, garage door opener, facial tissues, and pen and a small pad of paper. IF you have children, you will also need to think of their needs and your sanity by making sure they have items to keep them occupied. Utilizing the back side of the driver and passenger seats is a great place to put books, DVD player & DVDs, toys, wet wipes, and water. Don’t forget to include an emergency and first aid kit. Keep in the trunk reusable shopping bags and an insulated bag for carrying perishable food in warmer months.

Use Containers to Corral Supplies – A car not only looks better but is more easily maintained if one uses containers to house items therein. In that your car is moving, you want to ensure that items in your car are not rolling around, possibly causing any hazards while driving. Using trunk and/or visor organizers as well as back of seat organizers can provide inordinate help in this area.

Maintain the Order – Try making a habit of looking around your car before exiting after the long work/carpooling day and bring in items that you only needed to use during your day and will not likely need the next. Trash accumulates, and if you get into the habit of emptying it into a store or gas station trash bin as you exit the car or gathering your trash, depositing it into your personal garbage can, that is one definite way of maintaining order. Moving forward then, once a week look around your car and make sure it is back to the way it was nicely organized and decluttered.

A car is meant to transport people, not all of the sundry toys, month-old, crusty french fries, and wrappers most of us would be embarrassed to claim. Keeping the seats available for passengers versus books and clutter is the way to go. No pun intended…

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash