Tidying Up With Direct Auto: 5 Car Cleaning Hacks to Keep Your Ride Neat
You “file fold” your underwear. You have the urge to say, “This doesn’t spark joy!” any time you’re upset. Yesterday, you even greeted your home. No, you’re not crazy—you’ve got Kondo fever!
If the KonMari method has you tidying your home, why not continue the fun with a little spring cleaning for your car? Check out our best car cleaning tips, inspired by everyone’s favorite Japanese organizing guru, Marie Kondo.
- Take everything out of your car.
Just like Marie Kondo tells her clients to take ALL the clothes out of their closets or ALL of the books off their shelves, it’s your turn to take ALL the stuff out of your car.
Clear items out of every nook and cranny, then sort it all into categories. Some of your categories could be items that belong in your kids’ rooms, items you need to drop off somewhere, items you need to take inside your house, and items that actually belong in the car. Take anything that doesn’t need to be in your car to its proper location.
- Deep clean.
While your car is empty of all the stuff you were storing in it, give it a good scrub. Take it to a car wash if you’re short on time or set aside an hour or two to do it yourself and save the cash. You’re more likely to keep it tidy if you’ve put time and effort into getting it really clean!
- Keep what sparks joy!
Does that visor CD organizer spark joy, or can it go? What about the receipts you stashed in the door pocket in 2014? Keep only the items that truly make you and your family happy and help you enjoy each car ride, then get everything else out of your car!
Of course, you’ll want to keep items you might need when driving—regardless of their joy factor—like a flashlight, your garage door opener, a tire gauge and spare tire, and important documentation like your proof of car insurance. After all, safety can spark joy, especially when you’re out on the road!
- Give everything a “home” inside your car.
A vital part of tidying is honoring the belongings you want to keep. What better way to do this than to give each item a designated space? Instead of letting objects float around the car (and get lost under the seat twice a week), figure out a few car cleaning hacks of your own to keep things tidy—on the cheap!
Take an idea from Marie Kondo herself, and reuse small boxes or bags from inside your home as organizers. A plastic grocery bag can easily tie to the back of a headrest to serve as a trash receptacle, or an old shoebox can keep crayons or small toys neatly stashed under a bucket seat. Any time you’re tempted to toss something into the passenger seat or the floor, ask yourself, “What would Marie do?” (Spoiler alert: she’d “honor” it, and put it where it belongs!)
- Turn tidying into an enjoyable routine.
You can read all the car cleaning tips in the world, but what does it take to really commit to a neat and organized car? Regularly scheduled tidying! Grab your calendar and write yourself a reminder to tidy your car once every few weeks (it won’t take as long since you’ve done the BIG clean already).
You could also make it a habit to clean out any stray items at a particular time each day or week. Maybe you take your kids’ toys inside when you pull into the garage every Thursday night, or maybe you clear out the trash every time you’re waiting for your car to fill up at the gas pump.
Visualize Your Ideal Car Life with Direct Auto
Part of the KonMari method is visualizing your ideal life, and that includes your car! Is your auto insurance not sparking joy in your life? Talk to your local Direct Auto agent to learn how cheap car insurance can help keep you protected without breaking the bank. And saving money? That always sparks joy!
*Direct Auto Insurance does not endorse and is not affiliated with any company or person that might be listed in this article.
