When it comes to organizing, your home is not the only place that should be kept clean and decluttered.
Treating your vehicle as an extension of the home is the easiest way to apply organizing techniques in your car the same way you do within the different rooms of your home.
As with all small spaces, being creative and methodical in how you go about organizing and decluttering is vital to keeping the space functional and clean long term. It is easy for cars to become cluttered with garbage, unused items, children's toys, food etc. especially if the vehicle is used daily for commuting or errands.
Listed below are ten (10) organizing tips & recommendations to keep your car tidy & clean.
For additional organizing tips, check out this blog article by Marlisse Cepeda entitled
1. To help keep the clutter to a minimum, complete a 'clean-up session' at least every 6 months for the interior of your car.
If you have pets or small kids, where build-up can happen quicker, completing a "clean-up session' at the start of every season will help keep it under control.
2. When cleaning the interior, use disinfecting wipes to remove dust and food spills. Also, use a vacuum to clean the carpets, seats & floor mats, especially on pet fur and dirt.
3. Invest in pocket organizers (such as those that loop over the back of the seat) to provide you with more space to store small items for easy and quick access.
4. Use a small garbage can that can be used to collect garbage that accumulates on long road trips or commutes to and from work. Be sure to empty this on either a bi-weekly or monthly basis (depending on how often it is used) to keep the car smelling fresh and clean.
5. Declutter your trunk or backseat of all unused/unnecessary items that have accumulated throughout the year. For seasonal items such as scrapers or blankets, use reusable totes or under-floor storage to store them until they are needed.
6. Create an 'in case of an emergency kit' that can be stored in your trunk that contains any items that may be required if something happens. This should be maintained once a year to restock any supplies, or add/remove any items as required.
7. The glove box should only contain important documents such as your vehicle's insurance or registration information so it can be easily accessed if needed.
8. At least twice a year you should wash the exterior of your vehicle, either by hand or through a car wash. This will not only keep your car looking clean but also remove any build-up of grime or in the winter, salt, on the outside of the car to prevent rusting.
9. To prevent dirt and grime from being tracked throughout the vehicle, consider using weather guard floor mats that can be easily cleaned and trap the dirt from boots. Also, consider putting up a cover or blanket over your back seats to contain pet hair.
10. As important as it is to keep the interior and exterior clean & tidy, make sure you bring your car in for regular maintenance & check-ups to maintain the overall health of your car.
Now that you have a list of simple organizing tips for your vehicle, I encourage you to try some of these out to see just how easy it is to keep even the smallest spaces organized!
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About the Author: Brittany Smith lives in Ottawa, Canada with her husband and feline furbaby Zoey. She is a Certified Professional Organizer, Owner, and Founder of Control the Chaos, a Professional Organizing business that provides personalized in-home, virtual and digital organizing services aimed at transforming anyone's chaos into calm.