Whether this is your first road trip ever or you’re an experienced adventurer, this guide will help you keep your car organized for the entire journey.
Are you getting ready for a road trip? Whether you’re doing it to save money on airfare or you want to see the country instead of flying over it, there’s one thing that you need to do before you leave – get organized. It’s no secret that traveling for a long time in your car can turn it into a heap of a mess! And that’s ok – but it’s also easy to avoid.
As soon as you plan out your route and pack your bags, you need to organize your car. In fact, a well-organized car can turn a cramped vehicle into a comfy ride – and you might even be able to pack even more things than you thought! This is the only car organization guide you need, for journeys of all sizes!
Make A List
Don’t just go and buy all the organization products. Only buy what you need. You will be more likely to use them if they are customized for you. So, sit down and make a list of everything you’re packing.
Then, add a section to your list of things you will use every day in the car. This can include things like medicine, snacks, chargers, and pillows.
Why make a list? It will help you remember to pack everything and it will show you the size of the box or container you need. If you try to guess, you might get a tote that’s too big – taking up too much space – or too small – not fitting everything you have.
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Get The Gear
What are the best car organization products? Well, after you make your list you’ll know what you need. I’ll share some of my favorite products. Scroll through them and buy the ones that fit your stuff. Try really hard to hit that sweet spot, where everything fits without taking up too much extra space.
1. Trunk Organizer
I know how tempting it is to just throw loose stuff (or bags of things) in the trunk and forget about them. But when it comes time to actually find what you need, you’re in for a time-consuming game of hide and seek.
Save yourself the stress and keep your items sorted and organized. Get a car trunk organizer with a lid.That way, you can stack things on top of it. And if you have a lot of loose items, get an organizer that has a lot of pockets around the outside. I prefer one with handles so I can just grab it and carry it inside, all at once!
FORTEM Car Trunk Organizer, Collapsible Multi Compartment
2. Back Of Seat Organizer With Tray Table
If you’re traveling with backseat passengers – like kids – then these tray table organizers are a must! They aren’t perfect – the things on the table will slide off if you take a sharp turn. But it gives kids a little extra space to hold things.
The best thing about these organizers is they have cupholders and a place to mount a table so they can watch movies. The organizers basically double your storage space behind your seat.
Oneyus Car Backseat Organizer with Table Tray
3. Seat Gap Filler
The seat gap filler organizer is a genius invention. I can’t tell you how many times a phone or pen fell down between the seats! This little thing stores your phone, important cards, and even has an additional cupholder, too!
There are a lot of different versions out there, but I found one that has an opening to thread your phone charging cord through. This minimizes cord chaos.
JINRUITOP Car Seat Gap Filler Organizer with Cup Holder
4. Car Trash Can
If you’re traveling for more than a day or two, you need a larger trash can with a lid. This car trash can has a lid, exterior pockets, and hooks for the back of the seat. And just for fun, it comes in a bunch of different colors, too!
HOTOR Car Trash Can with Lid and Storage Pockets
5. Side Of Seat Organizer With Pockets
Another area that’s just wasted space is the side of the seat. Add more storage to your car and keep what you need within arm’s reach with a car seat storage hanging bag.
It can hold things like drinks, cords, phones, wallets, and even medicine or sunglasses. And for things that you really don’t wan to lose, it has a solid pocket with a zipper.
QUICTO 2PCS Car Seat Storage Hanging Bag
Designate Zones In The Car
This is one of my favorite tips, because it helps you keep the car organized long-term and will help you find what you need really quickly. Divide your car into zones and assign each zones to specific types of items.
For example, make the back seat the snack zone. This is where the cooler and bin with snacks will be. The back of the seat can be the medicine and charging zone. Other zones to consider are entertainment zones and trash zones.
Organize Your Charging Cables
How many devices do you need to keep organized? And how many charging ports/areas does your car have? You might benefit from packing and using a multi-port USB car charger or individual power banks.
Loose cords can cause havoc in a car! They get tangled or you accidentally grab the cord and the phone flies with it. A power bank – like a magnetic one – clips easily to the phone and removes the need for all those cords.
Create A Daily Essentials Kit
Space is a valuable commodity in a car. Treat it with respect and only keep what you need in the front. Fill up a small bag or tote with items you will use throughout the day.
What should you include in your daily essentials kit?
I would keep hand sanitizer, chapstick, sunglasses, and maybe tissues and gum or mints. But don’t just take my advice. Consider the things you use every day and keep them in this little kit.
Leave Room For Comfort
It’s easier to stay organized when you make it comfortable. Don’t pack the car so full that you can’t move. If you do, you’ll be more likely to stuff things where they don’t belong.
Instead, plan ahead to give yourself leg room. And think about the organizers you buy before you buy them. For example, some back of the seat organizers put a clip right behind your head on the head rest. That could irritate you and make you not even want to use it!
Manage Trash
Every single time you stop, empty the trash can and grab other pieces of trash that didn’t make it to the trash can. Soda bottles, napkins, and candy wrappers all pile up very quickly on a road trip.
This is also why it’s important to put your car’s trash can somewhere you can reach while you’re driving. Otherwise, you might use the side of your door or under the radio as your trash bin – and this could cause stuff to fall under your feet while you drive.
Make Changes
Finally, give yourself the grace and permission to change things up. Just because you bought an organizer doesn’t mean you have to use it! If it isn’t working for your space, get something else.
It’s really hard to predict what a trip will feel like or the kind of supplies you’ll need until you actually get on the road. Thankfully, you can find organizers at stores across the country.
Road Trips Will Help You Learn How To Organize Your Car
There you have it! These are my best tips for how to organize your car. If you follow these ideas, you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it – and your car will be a peaceful place.
The best thing to remember is to establish zones and containers for your things and to keep them where they belong. When you do this, you’ll have more space and less frustration.
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