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Are you sick of riding around in a messy car? Quite possibly your home away from home, you might spend hours in the car each day or barely ever drive. Either way, cars are notorious clutter collectors. Keep it clutter free with a few simple tips.
When I feel my clutter getting out of control, the first thing I get in order is my messy car. There are a couple reasons for this:
(1) The Mess in Your Car is Manageable
Unlike the massive overwhelm of decluttering your garage, basement, or entire house, cleaning out your car is a manageable task. It’s a small, contained space that can be handled in a short amount of time.
(2) Your Car Can Stay Cleaner, Longer
Your car is your own. You can control what goes in and out of it more easily than some other shared family spaces. When it’s clean, you can keep it that way for longer than a minute! While a car does require upkeep, it doesn’t require the same attention as, say, your kitchen with a string of dishes constantly flowing through or a bathroom full of boys. A thorough declutter, a little organization and upkeep about once a month can keep your car in good shape.
(3) Professional Help for Your Car
While I don’t have a cleaning service for my house, I do seek professional help for my car. Usually, I handle the inside and roll through the $8 car wash, but from time to time I spring for the $24.99 deluxe package with the vanilla scented spray. Hey, I’m worth it. Plus, having it look and smell really good makes me want to keep it up even more.
When you feel your clutter taking over, start with your messy car. Set aside a time or just run out there and get started right now!
Here is my no-fail, three step system for getting your messy car looking fabulous in a very short amount of time:
1) Declutter Your Messy Car
Take everything out. Everything. Yes, even the stuff you know you’ll be putting back in.
Get every piece of trash, every cup, every lost baby sneaker, and even the fuzzy dice hanging from your rear-view mirror (you still have those?) out of the car. Toss the garbage, recycle the water bottles, and put everything else in a laundry basket to sort through later.
Take your car to be cleaned or vacuum and wash it yourself. If you’re doing the cleaning, make sure to use wipes and cleaners designed specially for your car.
*Don’t use kitchen cleaner! Kitchen and bathroom wipes will dry out the polyurethane material on your dash and doors and make them appear dull and dusty.
2) Organize Your Mess
There are a million-and-one ideas about organizing your car so you have everything on hand when you’re away from home. Resist! Organized clutter is still clutter.
You do not need an over-the-seat organizer to store boxes of band-aids, full size bottles of hand sanitizer, a family size box of tissues, and giant packs of baby wipes. Instead, grab a small first aid kit to keep under your seat and refill as needed.
Purchase travel size items for a single pouch or leave the clean-up supplies at home and wash your hands in a bathroom like a normal person.
5 minute fixes to keep your Car Organized:
- Install a trash can in your car.
- Stuff a handful of plastic bag liners down in the bottom of your can so you’ll have one on hand when it’s time to change it.
- Put a chap-stick, pen, phone charger, and any little things you need in a single travel makeup bag or pouch in your car. Think small – travel size.
- Ditch the diaper bag and put a handful of diapers and a small baggie of wipes in a plastic gallon Ziploc bag. Keep it under your seat or in your center console for emergencies.
- Organize the paperwork in your glove box into a folder or pouch, and ditch all the expired registrations and insurance cards in there.
- Take out all the snacks. Leave the snacks at home.
3) Upkeep to Keep Your Messy Car CLEAN
Keeping up your car is at once simple and challenging. Simple because your car is just a small space that could be easily controlled.
It’s a challenge because clutter creeps in and our cars are not at the top of the priority list.
-Store frequently used items next to your car – Create a hanging space in your garage, mud room, or front closet for sports equipment, reusable grocery bags, and other items you need only sometimes. Bring them with you when you need them and take them out when you don’t.
-Make a clean sweep – When you notice clutter gathering in your car, take two minutes and collect all the trash, toys, and paper you can carry. Bring it in and put it away or toss it out.
-Park next to a trash can – This is my favorite tip. We keep a plastic kitchen trash can outside for diapers which is an incredibly convenient place to toss car clutter. I have a hard time bringing stuff into the house – my hands are usually filled with keys, bags, a baby, coffee cups, and water bottles. Having a conveniently placed, small trash can makes it so much easier to keep up with the clutter and packaging that creeps into my car.
-Make upkeep a priority – Take that 30 minutes a month and give it a good, deep cleaning, or take it to the car wash and let the professionals have at it.
More organization from the Resource Room:
Ashley helps parents who want to homeschool find the resources they need to successfully teach their children. Ashley is a former teacher, current homeschooler, published author, and designer behind Circle Time with Miss Fox printables as well as the creator of this website, The Homeschool Resource Room.
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