Driving your car every day can make for a messy car, especially if you are not the only person who rides in it. Taking the kids to school or even commuting with others means that you probably have food and drink in the vehicle — and that could spill easily. Eating in the car on road trips also makes a mess out of your car, especially when you’re trying to balance a burger, fries and a drink on your lap. And, don’t forget about those items you have in the car for emergencies. Left loose, they’ll slide all over the place, including under the seats. Keep your car neater by employing some hacks to make it easier to find things and to clean the vehicle.
A Shoe Organizer Is Not Just for Shoes
Hang a shoe organizer on the back of the front seats. Place the kids’ items in the organizer, including crayons, coloring book, sippy cups and even bags of snacks. Add age-appropriate toys. And, if your kids have tablets or phones, be sure to leave a pocket open for those items.
Console Organization
To keep cup holders clean, place a muffin tin liner in the holders. If you use the holders for what they’re designed for and your drinks often sweat, line the bottom with a piece of folded paper towel to catch the condensation. Cheap popsicle molds also work well.
For a larger storage cubby in a console, place cheap dollar store cups in the console for loose items such as change, a garage door opener and other items. You won’t have to remove everything from the console to find that change for the tollbooth or move everything around to find the garage door opener — and, your sunglasses won’t get scratched since they’ll be in their own cup.
Use old prescription bottles to hold change. Write the denomination of each coin on top of the lid. This keeps your change sorted and easily accessible for tollbooths or spur-of-the-moment car washes.
Trash Organization
Keep a plastic bag in the vehicle for the trash. Instead of “forgetting” to replace the bag when the old one is full, put some bags in a tissue box. You’ll be able to pull out a bag as you need it and will have five or six stored in the car.
Other Loose Items
Hang your purse, umbrellas and other items from the headrest using carabiner clips. They’ll keep items from rolling or sliding under the seat and will keep your purse from dumping if you have to hit the brakes hard.
Use covered totes from the dollar store to organize the trunk or the cargo area in an SUV. One tote could hold your reusable grocery bags. Store items you keep in the vehicle in individual zippered pouches that are labeled, and then put the pouches in a covered tote.
Keep charging cords, hair ties and other small items in plastic q-tip containers. You can keep these in the console, so they are within easy reach.
Eating on the Go
Instead of balancing a fast food meal on your lap and risking spilling it all over the floor, grab a few dollar store baskets with handles. You’ll be able to put your fries, burger and drink in the basket, which is easier to balance on your lap. And, the basket has an easy-to-reach handle should you need to grab that food quickly.
Organize Your Tools
For tools and extra parts you might keep in your vehicle, get a sectioned tool organizer with a lid. You might find them in home improvement stores or in craft stores. Get an organizer with a couple of longer sections in it to hold screwdrivers, pliers and other items. The other compartments might hold extra hose fittings, filters and other items you might keep in the vehicle for emergencies.
Visit Network Auto Body
If you need body work done, you can get a FREE online estimate or schedule an appointment at one of the five Network Auto Body locations in LA. That way your car will look great on your road trip and you’ll feel good about traveling down the road with it. That enjoyment will really help contribute to all the fun you can have on your trip.