How to Organize a Cluttered Car

Anyone can end up with a cluttered car. It can plague soccer moms, businessmen, students and everyone in between. It can be minor and just a little disorganized or it can border on unsanitary from the accumulation of fast food trash. There are a lot of reasons people neglect to clean out the interiors of their cars and all sorts of things can accumulate there over time from trash to important items.

An organized car decreases stress while you drive and also makes more room for cargo and passengers. The most cluttered of cars are weighed down to the point that it can even negatively affect gas mileage. Attempting to de-clutter your car can be overwhelming and you may not even know where to begin.

Getting Started

The absolute first step to organizing your car is to park it in a place with plenty of light. You need to be able to see under all the seats and into any little nooks where junk can hide.

The Three-Box Method

The three-box method (or three-pile method) is an organization technique you can use for anything that has become cluttered - from your basement to your office desk. It also works wonders for a cluttered car. For your car you want to have a box for "Trash," a box for "Car" and a box for "House." You'll keep the "Car" items in your car and take the "House" items inside because they aren't trash, but they don't belong in your car. Feel free to bring out your recycling bin if a lot of the garbage looks like paper, plastic or other recyclable items.

Start pulling everything out of your car wherever you'd like, but be sure to have a method to your madness so you don't overlook anything. You may prefer to start with the driver's seat and work your way around clockwise or you may want to begin with the trunk and work your way forward. Remove everything and be sure to check the glove compartment, center console and underneath each seat. Sort the items accordingly into the correct box.

Take Advantage of the Emptiness

Before you start putting anything back into your car that goes there, you should take the opportunity to vacuum it out. This will get rid of food crumbs and dirt that may have been hiding under the clutter. Track down odors and clean up stains. Having a car that looks and smells fresh and clean will remind you to keep it tidy. This will help you stay organized after you've de-cluttered.

What To Keep in Your Car

There are a few obvious things you should keep in your car like your registration and insurance information. Most people keep this paperwork in their glove compartment where it is easily accessible. Be sure you keep your glove compartment clean so you can find the documents quickly if you need them. Anything else you opt to keep in your car needs to have its own specific place that makes sense to you.

Create a Set of Rules to Stay Organized

Rules help you avoid another cluttered car situation. Create rules that are right for you that you can keep. You might want to consider not eating in your car if you had a lot of food trash. If you found that you had a bunch of junk mail in your car then don't allow mail in your car at all and take it straight inside. You may also consider a more regular de-cluttering schedule as a rule. Reserve a bit of time on Sundays for maintenance and get items out of your car that shouldn't be there.

Follow these simple steps and you'll have an organized car in no time. It'll also be easier for you to keep it organized and looking its best. A car full of clutter can be embarrassing if you carpool or a friend needs a ride. You also want to maximize your gas mileage by not transporting around pounds of unnecessary junk. 

Robert Mizrahi is the CEO of Chaos Commandos, a professional organizing service for homes and business. Learn more by visiting his website at NYCorganizers.com