May
UPDATE: You can now get your weekly organizing mission delivered direct to your inbox. Learn More
Welcome to the sixth of our 52 Organizing Missions.
This week we’re about to tackle your chariot – a place you spend a lot of time and, if you live in a busy city, a place you might feel a lot of stress.
Whatever the traffic conditions outside, with this mission you can at least keep the inside of your vehicle a calm, pleasant place to *ride* out the hassles.
Remember – you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Organizing Mission Options are below.
Get Organized Mission #6: Detox Your Car
Step 1: Car Interior
Empty everything out of your car and discard anything you don’t need there. That includes food wrappers, umbrellas, drink bottles, clothes and whatever sundry items have taken up nomadic residence.
Grab your cordless hand vacuum* and whip it around the floor. Use that long skinny attachment to get into all the crevices in the seats, around the fixtures and along the rear windscreen.
If you have items that genuinely need to live inside the car (perhaps a few kids’ toys or drink bottles) place them in a compact basket and stow it under the front passenger seat. This is usually the neatest place; if there’s somewhere better in your car, use it.
*I rarely recommend buying stuff, since my philosophy is that less is best – but this is one tool that makes being organized much easier. Seriously, get yourself one.
Step 2: Glove Box
Empty everything out of your glove box and discard anything you don’t need there.
Return and neatly arrange the essentials, such as:
- Vehicle log book
- Street directory or regularly needed maps (consider storing touring maps with holiday stuff)
- Torch
- Other necessary items for your location – eg sunscreen.
Step 3: Boot
Empty everything out of your boot and run the cordless hand vac around the floor.
Return and neatly arrange the essentials, such as:
- Spare tire and jack
- Basic tool box if you’re mechanically inclined
- Snow chains or other weather necessities
- Umbrella, extra sweater, etc
- Gym or sports bag.
Step 4: Keys
This is a good time to detox your car keys.
- Keep your garage and car keys together on your key ring.
- Discard any keys you no longer need.
- Have a regular place to put your car keys at home – eg in your bag, on a hook by the door, on the hall table. Make this a habit.
Step 5: Maintenance
Next, it’s time for a quick car health check.
- Is your car due to be serviced?
- Book a service now.
- Are there other niggling concerns – brakes, clunking noises, tires?
- Book an appointment now.
Step 6: Car Exterior
Appearance does matter. It’s a strong indicator of self respect – both to others and to yourself.
If your car screams low self-esteem, clean it! Go to a car wash, pay a neighbor’s kid or recruit your own kids – perhaps in exchange for driving lessons or by whatever means you negotiate chores in your family.
Of course, you can always make your own raunchy music video with suds and swimwear and wash your own car – but this option goes beyond your 30 minutes, so feel free to outsource it instead.
Step 7: Tunes
Your car’s starting to look pretty appealing again, huh?
The final step in the detox will make it an even more pleasant place to alphabet hop.
- Grab some CDs to leave in the car. This doesn’t count as clutter as long as you store them in a neat case in the glove box.
- Choose music that’s fun to drive to and avoids fights with other family members. You might also like to add a selection of audiobooks.
- If you have an iPod-compatible car create some driving playlists or download podcasts.
Note: Forget anything too relaxing or meditative.
Voila! Your chariot awaits…
Dos & Don’ts
- Don’t let your car lower your self esteem. Respect yourself by choosing to keep a pleasant mobile environment.
- Do take trash and things that don’t live in the car with you when you return home. Make this a habit and your car will never need rehab again.
Extended Organizing Mission Options
Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?
- If you have multiple cars consider detoxing as a household. Everyone gets a task – glove box, hand vac, etc. I call tunes!
- Include your kids in the new habit of removing unnecessary items from the car with every trip home. Soon it will become a habit for them, too.
- If you have driving-age kids, consider making car care part of the learning-to-drive and/or using-the-car deal.
Ready, Set, Go!
Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.
Before You Go – Please Check In
You’re now accountable to your organizing mission-mates! Once you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission please add a comment to let us know you’ve done your assignment and you’re keeping your commitment. (Click ‘Comment’ at the very top of this post or scroll down to the bottom. Depending on how you’re viewing this post, one of those options will be available for you.)
And see you back here next week!
UPDATE:
You can now get your weekly organizing mission delivered to your inbox. Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.
Image by Alan_D
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Related posts:
- Get Organized Mission #2: Detox Your Briefcase/Tote/Bag
- 30-Day Organize-athon | Day 12: Declutter Your Car’s Glove Box
- Create Your ‘Organized Life Bedtime Routine’ [Mission #20]
The 52 Missions Home Organizer program is achievable, motivating and proven.
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RT @MicheleConnolly: Now available: ★ Get Organized Mission #6: Detox Your Car ★ http://is.gd/KWTA – More great ideas as usual.
This is a great post! Cars always seem to be neglected, love all the tips!
RT @micheleconnolly Get Organized Mission #6: Detox Your Car | Get Organized Wizard http://bit.ly/wuVSR (via @tweetmeme)
Cleaned out the car! Hubby asked if it was so I could trade it in for a new car!
I said it needed to be done regardless! (But yes, I am thinking of trading it.)
This is something I really need to do and always put it off. I am looking forward to completing this task and reporting back with excellent results!
A really useful mission. I often use my car in connection with work as well as for domestic errands and if I need to give a work contact a lift, it looks better if I’m not moving half a ton of clutter from the footwell before getting in!
Spent my 30 today emptying the interior and trunk; also dealt with fuel, screenwash; tyre pressure etc. On my list to do:- Torch (useful reminder); sweater (ditto); drinking water and energy bar; and I’ll also check out the contents of the mini-medical kit.
Finally that job is done. Car (& I) feel so much better now.
Love storing necessary items in a small container and placing under the seat! I drive 4,000-5.000 per month. My car seems to smell just because of getting in and out so much (wet feet, etc). I don’t want to spend the $ for interior car detailing. Any ideas?
Wow, my car feels like new on the inside (just needs a good wash now).
I collected half a small shopping bag of rubbish and even found some money under the mats.
Done. Feels good, as usual. Thanks a lot!
It’s amazing how a clean, shiny car can make you feel! I really should do this more regular. I love a clean car. Thanks for this mission!
I finally got my car cleaned out and relly feel great. Amazing how good it feels to have really clean vehicle.
after taking 3 large bags of leftover yarn to the nursing home and then 2 large bags of clothing to goodwill, I cleaned out the car. My husband to the car to the dealership and we had a go- over on the car. After the tune up and oil and filter change and tires rotated, I had the car detailed. Today I went through the cd’s and then the glove box. The car is a 2002 but looks brand new again. Thanks for the tips.
Just sold my old car and bought a new (to me anyways!) car. So this was perfect timing. I’m now committed to keeping it clean and using the trash bag that hangs off the front passenger seat – a tidy out of the way place to put trash and one that is easy to reach when driving. Love having the car becoming my clean machine!
Have had her cleaned on the ouside and vaccuumed inside, gloveboz and boot cleaned but just need to wipe over everthing inside. Getting there though
Will report back when all done
Oops – I did it but I forgot to leave a comment. I really should keep it clean and more organized then I do. Oh well, no time like the present. My car is now in the high esteem column – feels good.
again no need – car is usually nearly empty
The car is the one place I always try to keep clean and decluttered. The important papers and a CD case are in the glove box, phone charger in the center console, and an umbrella and pressure gauge in the map pocket. I keep a velcro litter bag in the car for the little bits of trash that inevitably end up in the car (straw wrappers, etc) to go. Nothing in the trunk except maybe a sweater!
Hi Rue –
Your car sounds like a model of vehicular organization!
If you’d like to send me a pic, I’ll put it in the upcoming
★52 Missions Hall Of Fame Gallery★.
Please send it to: Photos@GetOrganizedWizard.com
Everyone else is welcome to send in their pics too.
M
I’m a few weeks behind and partly because I got tripped up by this one! I don’t have a car, I have a motorcycle. The keys are uncluttered anyway so they don’t flap around when I’m riding. The under-the-seat space is only big enough to carry tools and a spare taillight bulb, so that’s all that’s in there. I’d just had it serviced, and then repaired (a week later – long story). It did need a clean, but since I can’t take it to a carwash that’s a several hour job, not a 30 minute one! Anyway, I cleaned and oiled my chain today so that can count. (about 2 hours including a little ride to warm the chain up before oiling).
So… done!
i was ahead of the game on this one. Only because i had to. My son had to have a ride to his homecoming dance and it had to be done.
I enjoy it so much more now that its clean.
I finally got it done. My car is clean.Not going to hear my hubby mouth this weekend about how dirty the car is.
Thanks – reminds me to re-book road side assistance!
Done. Done and Done.
Done.
I love my car (Mini Cooper)… I strive to keep her clean and smelling fresh. Presently, my daughter’s in-between vehicles and (gasp!) I graciously let her borrow my baby. My daughter is less than organized and feeds the grandbabies in the car on the way to daycare and school. I don’t fault her for this; she is a single mom who works full-time. But…. she never cleans out my car afterwards.
I miss my car and have promised her a complete spa day when she comes home to momma!
Our car was involved in an accident this weekend so it is going nowhere fast, probably the cleanest it has ever been now that my mission is complete. Ironic
This mission took me a week and a half. First part was super quick and it looked wonderful inside. Unfortunately I kept putting off washing the outside. Now the inside and outside match. Looks great! On holidays at the moment too, so the inside has not become re-cluttered with paperwork.
Too easy – no need to do – already done. I bought my kids double walled stainless steel water bottles so that there water bottles stay cold in the car.
My car has always been the place to accumulate stuff. Definitely a good idea; it’s amazing how you can let it go to the wayside until, all of a sudden, a friend needs a ride.
Car is now completed and best stay that way!
I procrastinated this for a few weeks, I admit. But, it’s done now and my car looks so nice!
It’s a sunny day and perfect for getting out to do this mission.
Our minivan didn’t come with a compartment between the front seats, just a net. So much stuff got dumped there and it always looked so messy. I finally measured the area and went out and bought a covered plastic container to hold what we needed in there. It looks so much better and it’s easy to find what we need now.
Thanks!
Monsoon Rains in Pa.this wk……have to put this on hold !
Good Morning! from sunny West Palm Beach, FL, USA
My auto is a fine example of vehicular organization. Always been
that way… always will be that way. It seems so simple compared to the other types of organizational missions we are on.
Thanks! Love the 52 missions.
This one took me a WHILE! My SUV’s interior gets cleaned only a couple times a year, but I dare say the exterior might go a year or more before the hubs or myself gets around to washing it! I am not “allowed” to run my vehicle through a car wash, so I had to wash it myself. It took 2 separate 30-min washings to get her “clean” and then it took me another 30 mins to detail the weathered trim. She looks 5 years newer now! Love it! Now, I’ve just got to get a kit to work on my cloudy headlights and she’ll be as good as new!
This is one thing that I am very good about. My car rarely has any clutter, and if it does, like a wayward receipt, it never stays more than a few days.
It’s taken 6 months, but the car is finally clean and tidy (relatively). Instead of annoying me every time I see it, I now get a boost from my lovely shiny car! I’m now back on track to continue the missions.
I did this only two weeks ago… it was AMAZING how much junk was back in my car after only that long!
Somehow, we’ve acquired cake decorating sprinkles on the floor under the baby’s car seat. I think a vacuum is in order too!
No car, no mission.
This one was easy. I can’t stand a messy vehicle, so I keep mine neat. I removed a couple of extra camp chairs from the back and threw away some expired insurance cards that were in the glove compartment. Done.
Done! I discovered through this mission that my car was disgusting.
I’m lucky to be alive.
I do have a popup velcro trash can that i throw litter in. Got it at auto zone and it’s better than any of the other auto trash containers I’ve tried. If you’re interested:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accProductDetails.jsp?itemIdentifier=761465_0_0_&skuDescription=Bell+/+Pop-uptrashcan&brandName=Bell&displayName=Pop-uptrashcan&skuDisplayName=Bell&categoryNValue=10099999&navValue=100390&categoryDisplayName=Pop-uptrashcan&parentId=00-10&itemId=390-10&productId=761465
Usually I have a handle on this one, but we’ve had a guest and much travelling to local sites, beaches, etc., so this mission came at a good time. One thing I have always tried to have is a clear backpack to store maps, first aid kit, cables, and emergency stuff. Everything is easily seen in one location that is easy to stow in the back of the car, and can easily be transferred to another car if you need to.
No car
Done!
Wow! Mission #6 was already done before I started. I always keep my car in great shape. It’s an old habit. Onto #7…
My husband is really fond of our car and he’s a very tidy person anyway, so nothing to do here really. I just went through the CD collection in the car and only left those in there that we actually listen to. Done!
already done !
I don’t have a car so I’m skipping gaily onto the next task!
Mission #6 1/2 completed. I have decluttered the car, but need to give it a good vaccum cleaning, will do this a day the weather makes it easier…. Still I find it was the mess that was the biggest problem in hour car,- not so much the dust.
This was an easy one, because we don’t have a car
!
I had this 90% complete until school holidays…now it needs doing again!
At least this time it will only take about 5 minutes to do.
done
Wow! I’m exhausted because my car really needed some attention. The temperature outside might have had something to do with it too, but it was so worth it! Thanks for the motivation!
Done, not as much rubbish as I feared, a wax and polish finished the job.
All done. Took 3 nights and probably 4-5 hours, plus oil, air, and water last night. Looks great, except for my lousy seat covers, which didn’t last more than about a month. Nice to have the glove box and console weeded out, and the trunk organized again.
Done