Organizing Your Car and Cargo

Organizing Your Car and Cargo

Living in Northern Virginia means living with traffic and long commutes. Do you know that the average commuter spends fifteen hours a week in the car? Now that it is summer, are you adding to your car time by driving on your vacation? If your car is your second home, it may need some organization to make it more comfortable.

You can do many things to make your drive time more enjoyable. The first one is to wash your vehicle inside and out. I am guilty of putting this task off for long periods, but a clean car makes such a big difference when I get around to cleaning it.

“That old car isn’t so bad. It smells good, all vacuumed and polished. I can even see clearly out of the windows!”

So remove that stuff accumulated in the corners, clear out the backseat, and purge the trunk.  Feel the space free up. Open the windows, and let the airflow.  It’s like Feng Shui for your car!

Just like what happens in our homes, the amount of stuff we have in our cars can overwhelm us. You can use many products for storage, making commuting more safe, productive and enjoyable.  Consider the three zones in your vehicle: the front seat, the backseat, and the trunk. Each area will have specific storage needs: CDs, sunglasses, and work material in the front seat; entertainment for the kids in the backseat; groceries, sports equipment, first aid, and road safety kits in the trunk.

Loose items can be dangerous if you happen to get in an accident. Please ensure everything has a place and is stored when not in use.

Another rule that helps keep your car organized is to “clean sweep” your car each time you get out. Put things into their storage place before you leave the vehicle. Carry items into your home or office if you are finished using them. This is a great lesson in responsibility to teach your children. Allow them to bring things into the car only if they agree to return them to the house when you arrive home. Lead by example.

Using these tips will also make it easier for you not to be driven to distraction. Happy and safe commuting!

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Janet Schiesl

Janet Schiesl

Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.

She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.

Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

Janet Schiesl

Janet Schiesl

Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.

She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.

Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.

5 Comments

  1. […] Here is a excerpt from another Basic Blog post call Organizing your Car and Cargo. […]

  2. Linda Samuels on August 19, 2024 at 10:16 am

    It makes such a difference to have a clean and organized car. As you said, it’s like a “second home.” I am big on the “clean sweep,” as you mentioned. I always empty trash and extra items out of the car when I exit. Doing it as it happens, makes it easier to keep it clean on a regular basis.

    Other quick trips. I keep a duster in the glove compartment so I can do a quick dashboard dusting when needed. I also keep window cleaner and paper towels in the trunk. Those are great for doing a quick window cleaning. When the windows are clean, it makes the rest of the car feel cleaner.

    Every month of so, I remove the matts to shake off the dirt. That helps, too.

    • Janet Schiesl on August 19, 2024 at 11:20 am

      Linda, thanks for the tip about the duster. I’m going to do that. The interior of my car is black and it always looks dusty.

  3. Julie Stobbe on August 20, 2024 at 1:51 pm

    I see a lot of cars filled with garbage and recycling. I have always taken the garbage, recycling, purchases jackets and clothing out of the car every time I arrive back home. It makes keeping the car neat and mostly clean easy. When we were diving with children I always had a bag hanging in the back seat that was for garbage. As the trip proceeded everything went into it and when we arrived there was nothing to pick up only the bag to put into the garbage can. I thoroughly wash my vehicle inside twice a year, at the end of summer and the end of winter. It feels really nice for a couple of weeks getting into a clean car, no dust or tea spills.

    • Janet Schiesl on August 20, 2024 at 2:10 pm

      Thanks Julie. I do agree that we spend so much time in our cars and it’s nice to have a system to keep it clean and organized. Every car needs a trash bag!

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