Maybe this is your current situation: You don't want to welcome a passenger into your car because, well, it's a mess. Take just 15 minutes to implement these tips and your car will be tidy and enjoyable! Certified Professional Organizer©, Amy Payne, is giving a few of her favorite tips for keeping your car organized!

Bags for Everything

Keeping items in separate bags keeps them organized. Designate one bag for the trash. Another bag for your emergency vehicle supplies. A bag for hand sanitizer, napkins, pens, and snacks. Having separated bags makes it easy to take one bag inside to empty or replenish the items inside.

When you get to a gas station, there's usually a trash can nearby. Pumping gas is the perfect time to discard the trash inside your car. Since I have to get out anyway to pump gas, I keep a little skinny trash can in my car with a trash bag inside. When it's full, I take the little trash bag out and replace it with a new trash bag that I keep in the bottom of the can. A great way to start implementing this is to get into the habit of taking the trash out of your car when you arrive home as well as all of your cups and other items that belong inside. 

Permanent Items 

I have a work bag that always stays in my car and is ready to go. It's my organizing bag that I take with me to every client, and I've started leaving it in my trunk. Since I don't need it in my house, but I do when I visit a client's, its most practical home is in my car. I also have a bag that is permanently packed for when I go to the gym. So all I have to do is grab that bag, put it in the car, and it's ready to go. When our kids were doing sports, we had a big bag with little hand warmers, a blanket, a poncho, and water bottles. It also had extra mouthguards and other items we might need for sporting events so that we were not packing a new bag every time.

Habits 

Keeping an organized vehicle is all about habits. Create designated spots in the car for each of the things that you need to keep in the car, and make sure the items get put back away in the right spot. Bringing in items every time you get home and rotating out your seasonal items is a huge step in creating your new habit of keeping an organized car. Remember: Your vehicle should be a sanctuary to get you from place to place, not an extra stressor if your life.

For more information about organization and tips from a Certified Professional Organizer©, check out our home organizing page or contact us at info@lastingorder.net