If you’ve taken the time to get your life into a well organised system, from arranging your closet to organising your home, you might think you’re done. However, have you made your car as organised to match?

Many of us forget about keeping our car clutter free, and are guilty of loading it with spare umbrellas, empty snack wrappers and other junk we don’t really need. Here are some top tips to keep things well set up. 

1. Whether you’re driving a new F-Type Jaguar or your parent’s old banger, your car isn’t going to look good if it’s full of litter. If you often snack in your car, set up a car trash can. A small tupperware tub with a lid (the kind designed for cereal would work well) is a good option. Put your rubbish in there and keep the tub in the footwell to stop the wrappers getting all over the place. You can empty the tub when you get out the car.
2. Create some grab and go packs to cover different things you might need. You could set up a first aid kit, a pack of snacks, or some activity packs for the kids. For little ones, create a kit with wipes and tissues for clean-ups, or a coloring kit and other activities to occupy them on long trips.
3. Make a makeshift cup holder. Are you often the one who hits the drive through to pick up breakfast for the office? Instead of trying to balance all the coffee cups everywhere, make an impromptu mega cup holder by putting a muffin tray into a laundry basket. The cups slot into the tray and won’t be able to fall over and make a mess of the car.
4.  Do you always forget to take your own bags with you to the grocery store? Save plastic carrier bags from shopping and shove them into an empty tissue box to keep in the car. You’ll have a handy bag dispenser ready anytime you need a carrier bag, without loose bags all over the trunk.
5. Keep some loose change in the car so you’re not raiding your wallet to pay for parking or tolls. Keep the change under control by storing it in an empty gum container, which you can store in the glove compartment. Just don’t throw it away by mistake.
6. Put silicone muffin cases into the bottom of each cup holder. If you keep small items in the holders, you can grab them more easily from the silicone. When the holders get dirty, just take out the muffin cases and swap them for clean ones. It’s much faster than cleaning the cup holders.
7. Pack a kit of ‘emergency’ items. While every car should have a proper first aid kit, you might also want a kit of little things you might need that aren’t medical. This could include things like spare hair bands, safety pins, hand sanitiser, tissues, band aids, painkillers, nail clippers, makeup wipes and extra tampons. 

(contributed content)