First off, I’m gonna ask you to swing by the donation center and get those boxes out of your car. That’s the first step.
Once you’ve done that, let’s dig in!
How to declutter your car
1. Gather supplies. Bring a trash bag and laundry basket with you.
2. Empty the car. Take out EVERYTHING that doesn’t belong in your car. Garbage goes in the bag, items that belong in the house go in the laundry basket.
3. Clean the car. When your car is empty, dust everything and clean the windows. Then vacuum. Boom, clean car.
4. Deal with the items. Throw away the trash bag and put the house items away.
Keeping a clutter-free car
If you find yourself frequently unhappy with your cluttered car, or if you have to do a whole big declutter every month and you’re sick of it, you just have to make a habit of taking everything with you.
When you get home, take everything that you brought with you. Your jacket, bag, anything new you collected while you were out, the receipt from your coffee, the ponytail on your gearshift. If you have kids, work to teach them the same habit.
That’s the only way to truly keep your car clutter-free.
What should I keep in my car?
There are things that people prefer to store in their car, and that’s fine. If so, I recommend having a designated spot to keep these things. Having a “home” in your car for each item will help you to keep a balance instead of just using it as an excuse to keep the back seat full of trash.
Here are items that you might like keeping in the car:
- Hand sanitizer
- Emergency cash (hidden)
- Hygiene products
- Grocery bags (only if you actually use them)
- Car emergency kit
- Air compressor
- Jumper cables
- Ratchet straps
- Can of vienna sausages to coax stray animals (just me?)
I’m overwhelmed by my disaster car–what do I do?
If your car is an overwhelming dump zone that you can’t even think about, then do it in phases. You don’t have to declutter the whole thing right now!
Maybe skipping the cleaning steps will make it more approachable. That’s okay! Clean it another day and just focus on the declutter for now.
Or don’t even worry about decluttering the whole thing. Bring a trash bag and fill it. Toss it, and you’re done for the day.
It’s okay to take incremental, regular steps in a way that’s not intimidating. You’ll get there. Take a little action today, then you might have the energy for more tomorrow.
Car Clear Checklist
Want more support? Download our free Car Clear Checklist so you don’t have to think about it:
