How to Keep Your Car Clean and Organized

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it seems like I live in my car. If you have kids, chances are your car gets messy a lot. Between car seats, snacks, bags, shoes, backpacks, paperwork and everything else, keeping your car organized can be challenging.

I found that once I set up a system (and prioritized it on my schedule) my car was again clean and tidy. Here are some tips and products for you to try to keep your car well-organized too.

Whether it’s the kitchen, bedroom, or car, organizing begins with decluttering. When there’s too much stuff, decluttering will help you get a handle of what you have and separate the items you need from the junk you don’t.

To organize your car, set aside some time to do a deep cleaning. It may not take more than an hour to clean your car, but it’s best to schedule a specific time to work on it and get it done.

With a few garbage bags in hand, take everything out of your car and divide into categories: goes into the house, throw away or keep in the car.

Next it’s time to go through the glove compartment and the center console storage. These are areas where many of us keep necessary items like tissues, hand sanitizers, baby wipes, an extra charger and your car’s manual. These items are useful to have, but other things also make their way into these areas. Remove any unnecessary items, like condiment packets, napkins, straws, etc. Even if you plan to put some things back in the car, take it all out while you organize.

You should keep essential paperwork such as your registration and proof of insurance in your car for emergencies.

Go through the side compartments in the door and any nooks and crannies where items get stuffed. Clean the mirrors and the insides of the windows.

Wipe down the interior of the car thoroughly. Depending on your car’s interior material, you may want to use Armor All protectant, glass cleaner, a leather cleaning spray, or upholstery cleaner. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations before using.

Use a soft chamois cloth to wipe the surfaces of your car. Spot treat any stains on the seats. Keep in mind that most sprays aren’t made for all the surfaces in the car, so using upholstery cleaner to wipe the dashboard, for instance, could leave a residue that could cloud your view.

When you organize your car, don’t stop at just the cab or the vehicle’s interior. It’s essential to take a look at the trunk too. I know that sometimes items can end up “forgotten” in the trunk of your car for a very long time. You may have old blankets, rags, or shopping bags in there. Or even items you planned drop off at a donation box.

Use a handheld vacuum to give your car a thorough cleaning. Vacuum the hard-to-reach places, like the carpet between the seat and the door. Take out the floor mats and shake them. If you use vinyl or rubber floor mats, you can often hose them off to get them even cleaner.

Once you’ve cleaned your car, it’s time to put it all back together in an orderly fashion. To keep your car clean, set up a regular routine. It may help to clean out your car each time you get gas, and then once a month do some deep cleaning. Below is a list of products that will help keep your car clean, organized and clutter-free.

1. A seat gap filler is placed in the space between the front seats, performing two functions. 1. It provides extra storage space for items like phones, and 2. It prevents items from falling into the area between the two front seats. No more vacuuming crumbs. Get it here on Amazon.

2. A headrest hook frees up room on the seats and floor. I can hold handbags, backpacks, shopping bags, and jackets. I especially prefer the CC L-type model, which you can attach a cell phone to, allowing my kids to watch shows and keeping them occupied. Get it here on Amazon.

3. A leather cleaner and conditioner that’s formulated to remove dirt and oil and softens cracks and dry spots. First, you remove the dirt with the cleaner, then follow up with the no-rinse conditioner, which leaves the leather lightly shined and super soft. Get it here on Amazon.

3. A durable trunk organizer with handles and has two pockets to keep your stuff organized and from rolling all over the place. Get it here on Amazon.

4. Or a bigger mesh organizer to stretch across the back of your SUV / van / truck to prevent all those bags from tipping over and spilling all he contents. Get it here on Amazon.

5. A 12-pack non-abrasive, reusable, easy-to-wash microfiber cleaning cloths for not scratching up easily scratchable surfaces like your windshield or your paint job every time you clean them. Get them here on Amazon.

6. A high-sudsing, foaming citrus carpet and upholstery cleaner that will lift dirt and stains and remove odors from your messy car seats and make them look and smell as new as possible. Get it here on Amazon.

7. A jar of cleaning gel for car detailing. Cleaning car gel is super great to get into the vents and little crevices on the car air vents, steering wheels, console panel, storage bins, cup holder, door handles, dashboards to pick up the dirt. Find it here on Amazon.

8. A back seat organizer that holds everything needed to keep your kids entertained. It has an insulated cooler for drinks and snacks, side panels that flip up and can be used as travel trays, and several storage pockets to keep everything nice and organized. Plus, it comes with a removable carry strap for easy transportation. Get it here on Amazon.

9. Cup holders tend to store more than just cups, but they can't hold everything. This storage organizer caddy contains slots to hold your phone, a water bottle, loose change and more. It also has a special slot for charging cords to pass through. It can also be easily cleaned in your dishwasher. Get it here on Amazon.

10. This back seat organizers keeps everything from books, toys, snacks, and water bottles tidy and easy to access. It includes a touch screen tablet holder and plenty of pockets and pouches to store things. And since I’ve started using it, I hardly have to pick up after the kids because they place the items right back in the organizer. Get it here on Amazon.

11. A car seat storage mesh organizer you can use as a seat divider to store anything you want to keep in easy reach barrier that prevents kids or pets in the back seat disturbing you while you're driving. Get it here on Amazon.

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