Now, let me start by saying that if my husband & Dad saw this post, they would probably laugh, because although I do all of these things to keep our car organized, there are always extra shoes (cleats, usually, from sports) in the back seat, always a snack or water bottle left behind and you can count on seeing two or three coats left behind (not to mention a few toys). With that being said… Here are the things I do:
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Every Sunday we do a “family car cleaning”. The boys take grocery bags & put EVERYTHING into them. They bring them inside and I go through them.
I leave coats in the trunk (well, pull-overs). I do this because our kids are constantly cold, especially in restaurants, so if I can have a coat handy, it works out great.
I keep an extra pair of flip-flops for our kids in the trunk. Our 2 year old often forgets his shoes (or takes them off and throws them out into the garage when I am not looking, while I am getting everyone in the car) Our older boys have been known to break a flip-flop, so having extras is always a good idea in our house.
I keep all plug-ins & chargers (gps, phone charger, DVD charger) in the little console below the dashboard. When it is closed, you can’t see anything.
I keep extra plastic grocery bags in our car, along with extra diapers, just in case.
My best tip for keeping your car organized: I have a basket located towards the front. My Mom had this idea and it has worked out really well. I have the kids bring everything up at the end of every trip (except their Leapster Explorers- they stay in the car. Read more about why here) I just take the basket in and go through it. It takes about two minutes and then I take the empty basket back out when I’m done. This works as a garbage can and a collect-all.
I liked these ideas, too:
Thanks for this idea from handygirl.com
Find out how to make these at 8thdaycreations
Read more about what I keep in our car- tips for taking a road trip with kids (first aid kits, cleaning supplies) here HERE IS A TIP TO KEEP THE CAR CLEAN
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Lauren @momhomeguide says
I keep hand-me-down sweatshirts in the car, so the kids have something to put on when they are cold. I like the idea of taking things out of the car at least once a week! With two kids, stuff tends to gather in our van!
Your Modern Family says
Good idea w/ the sweatshirts!
Cassie says
These are awesome! I love the home made carpet freshener! Living in Alaska I generally only get to do a through cleaning twice a year. Once its warm enough and before it gets too cold. I do have the kids go out with plastic bags and remove everything in the car once a week. Helps keep the clutter down. I also keep a container of Clorox wipes in the car for when i’m waiting or hanging out, to do a quick wipe down. I keep plastic “wrap” stuff they lay down in new cars to protect my carpets from ice, snow, water, gravel, salt etc, and use rubber mats. Thank you for sharing!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
🙂 I love that plastic wrap idea! I should have done that when we lived in PA!