Happy Summer, friends! While 2020 may not exactly be the year of epic road trips, we’re still in the car quite a bit as we spend these warmer days exploring all of the great metro parks and outdoor spaces here in Columbus. Between my two messy little boys and a lovable but very shed-prone Australian shepherd, plus hauling client donations from sessions each week, my car (a Subaru Outback that I absolutely adore) can take a bit of a beating. Here’s how to keep yours looking great!

Take everything out.

This organizing project starts like any other - take it all out! Everything from the obvious trash to booster seats to Pokemon cards and rock collections (#boymom) needs to go. Once that’s done, take some time to vacuum and wipe down the seats, steering wheel, and dashboard. I love vacuuming out my car, it’s truthfully one of the weird, unexpected things that I miss most about pre-Covid life.

Think about what really belongs.

Like any space in your home, packing a bunch of stuff into your car for a “just in case” Walmart-on-wheels is only going to make it feel cluttered and inefficient. Stick to the essentials - wet wipes for messy fingers, yes; three spare changes of clothing for each kid, not necessary. If you do happen to have a “Man I wish I had _______” moment, make a note and add things in as needed or keep a separate seasonal car kit in the garage or mudroom that you can pop in and out as needed (check out this post about setting one up specifically for the summer months ).

Create zones.

Yes, I’m using the Z Word again. Think about the main storage spots in your car - the center console, glove compartment, and trunk - and what purpose each of those spaces needs to serve. Here’s a peek at what I keep in the different zones in my car:

Center console

Essentials - basics like floss, lip balm, tweezers (if you’re like me and take advantage of excellent lighting to pluck stray brow hairs while waiting for your Target drive-up order), bug spray wipes, mints, headache meds, etc.
First aid - assorted bandages, alcohol wipes, pain relief gel
COVID supplies - disposable masks in case someone forgets their cloth version at home, disposable gloves, and disinfecting wipes (I don’t keep hand sanitizer in the car because even if it’s not quite true that it can explode on hot days, I’d rather be on the safe side)
Gift cards/coupons

Glove compartment

Backup phone chargers
Important documents - registration, insurance info, etc.
Tire pressure gauge
Flashlight
Swiffer duster ( I use this to dust the dashboard at red lights - told you I’m a car cleaning nerd)

A little containment goes a long way in the center console and glove box areas! I use a combination of these supply cases and these photo cases, but you could also use pencil cases or even a divided vanity organizer.

Just say no to junk in the trunk! Remember that the point of your trunk is to have empty room to use as needed, not to cram in a bunch of “just in case” items, so keep it simple. I like a foldable divided organizer like this one to provide some containment, but a big blue bag from Ikea or a few reusable shopping bags would work just as well. Bonus: an empty or mostly empty trunk also means better gas mileage!

If you’ve got kids, I love the idea of using a bedside organizer like this one under their car seats, with individual compartments for things like pencils, wipes, and snacks.

Maintain

I typically include a quick car cleanup in the weekly reset routine that I tackle on Sundays or Mondays. Beyond that, we try to stick to a few basic rules such as everyone being responsible for bringing their own belongings back into the house after a trip and emptying the trash every time we come into the house and/or stop for gas.

All bets are off on session days, though - gimme ALL the donations, please!