A car is almost like a mobile home for family members. After all, the vehicle has seen so many trips that it’s a common practice to leave clothing items, food, containers, toys, and other belongings.
This habit may clog up your car and make future trips difficult. But no worries! Here are some creative ideas to organize your car and open up more space.
Our suggestions range from investing in new organization tools to making the best use of everything you already have. Even car owners who are just starting out with their new vehicles can follow these simple tips on car organization.
Time to make your vehicle space clutter-free and tidy!
Key Takeaways:
✅ Keep kids’ snacks in containers to prevent mess and prepare entertainment like toys and art supplies for long trips.
✅ From between-seat holders to trunk organizers, you will need to invest in a variety of storage solutions to keep everything in its place and easily accessible.
✅ Establish a weekly cleaning routine and adjust your storage based on seasonal needs to maintain an organized and adaptable car space.
30 Simple Ideas to Organize Your Car
Getting your car organized can make your life so much easier. However, always start with the materials you already have. The tools present in your car can be repurposed to maximize space.
Here are 30 simple ideas to whip your car into shape:
1. Focus on Practical Functions
It might be tempting to fill your car space with pretty and aesthetic organization units. But what’s best to look at might not always work best in freeing up space.
Hence, take a moment to think about how you use your car on a daily basis. You can arrange trunks or containers that fit inside the vehicle to carry various belongings.
By understanding your car’s primary functions, you can tailor your organizational strategy to suit your unique needs.
“Household items like construction tape, ropes, and pliers should be kept at hand in transport to aid in any emergencies.”
2. Organize the Car Trunk
Your trunk is like the backstage of your car – keep it tidy so you can find what you need when you need it.
Now, why is it so important?
Well, the obvious reason is to facilitate a clutter-free journey. But it’s also important to keep a tidy car space for safety. Any sharp object or hard material can become a projectile if the car breaks or crashes suddenly.
The loose objects can fling forward and cause harm to the passengers. So all items inside the car must be secured properly to avoid any accidents.
No matter what size car you drive, the car trunk should be large enough to store most items.
3. Prepare Pre-packed Snacks for Kids
Kids throwing trash in the car is another big contributor to a messy car. Packs of chips, chocolate, candy wrappers and even fruit bits thrown inside the car will disrupt its environment. If these trash items are left untreated, the car starts to smell as well.
“A simple way to keep unwanted trash from showing up in your car is to pack the snacks in containers or ziplock bags.”
Remove fruit peel, chips packets, or any disposable items that kids might feel tempted to throw in your car.
4. A Handy Box of Entertainment Goodies
Having some hobby tools in the car is a great idea for when you take the little ones out on a long trip. Hence, keep some simple tools such as a sketchbook, a coloring book, some crayons, pencils, and marker pens to inspire art time.
Some simple toys, such as puzzles, building blocks, and jumpy balls, are also good ideas.
How will you organize the toys in the car? It’s easy!
Keep a clear container or box. Or, another great idea is to invest in a backseat organizer.
5. Utilizing a Between-the-Seats Holder to Keep Your Purse Close
A handy storage tool is the in-between car seat organizer. This storage unit can be attached to the back of the front seats. These holders can carry light objects such as tissues, baby wipes, phones, purses, and other medium-sized belongings.
The seat holders can make other car accessories accessible while decluttering inside space. Between seat organizers can be caddies, baskets, or cloth pockets. These pockets can be used to hold combs, brushes, and stationary as well.
6. Fix a Place for Storing Purses or Diaper Bags
If your family has toddlers or babies, diaper bags and baby products showing up in the car are unavoidable. But these products can’t just be disposed of anywhere.
Using baskets, boxes, grocery bags, shopping bags, and trash bags are your best options to store them until they can be disposed of properly.
However, one crucial point to note, be sure to fold the used diaper properly and seal it in a plastic bag beforehand. Keep the plastic in a closed box, bin, crate, or paper bag until you reach a proper trash bin to get rid of it.
7. Place Handy Recycle Bins
Invest in small-sized recycle bins for your car trash. Place these bins between the front and back seats. It can also be placed in the rear along with tissue paper boxes. It’s always better to have bins with covers.
This prevents anything from spilling out into the vehicle body. Also, try to fasten the bins with ropes or zip ties to make sure they stay in place. This will keep your vehicle super clean and tidy.
8. Avoid Overcrowding the Trunk
The car trunk, or cargo area, is built to carry all your travel necessities. However, overcrowding the trunk can decrease space for actual necessities.
Therefore, be picky when selecting what to load up in the car trunk. And try to fit the smaller items on the car console and in the glove box.
You can use the car seats and under-seat compartments to fit things like purses, seat organizers, and other immediate necessities. Less important things, such as recycling bins, spare tires, and laundry baskets, can be stored in the trunk for later.
9. Travel with Only Necessities in Your Car
Plan any trip carefully and select only the essential supplies in your car. A family vehicle might be like a mobile home, but that doesn’t mean it must hold all the comforts of home at all times.
The bare necessities can include a safety kit, food supplies, matches, and water bottles. Remember to stock the car with season-appropriate attire, just in case. Maintain the “travel light” policy for yourself as well as your organized car.
10. Use Round Tissue Containers Instead of Boxes
A simple organization hack is to switch to round tissue canisters instead of boxes. Why so? Well, tissue boxes take up more space than necessary.
A rolled-up tissue canister can be stored anywhere, including the car door compartment.
Place cupholders or pen stands in the car and keep the tissues there for use. Round tissues are easier to pull out and distribute as well.
11. Organize the Center Console and Glove Box
The console and glove box are pre-built storage solutions for your vehicle.
The glove box is usually a medium-sized compartment used for storing car-related documents such as your driving license, cards, and emergency items.
Extra Note:
Avoid overcrowding the compartment, as it makes finding the important stuff more difficult.
12. Place an Umbrella in the Trunk
An umbrella can be useful in the snow, rain, and sun.
Hence, always keep an extra umbrella in the car for emergencies. The umbrella can be stored inside the car trunk.
If you want quicker access, the umbrella can be kept between the front and back seats. Another good organization trick is to hang the umbrella on the headrest of the front seats.
13. Install a Car Trunk Hidden Compartment
A fun car organization hack is to install a hidden compartment in the trunk. Such hidden parts are called traps or clavos.
A hidden trunk compartment can be bought and installed. Some cars may already have a pre-installed hidden compartment that can be unlocked with a key or a hatch. Be selective of what you store in the hidden compartment.
14. Arranging the Hidden Trunk Compartment
Now having a hidden compartment can be fun but you mustn’t go overboard. The compartment should be filled with underclothes, emergency medicine, sanitary products, and other essentials that you might need in a pinch.
By keeping these items neatly organized and easily accessible, you can rest assured knowing that you’re prepared for whatever the road may throw your way.
15. Invest in Seat-side Pocket Organizers
Side seat organizers can be made of fabric, leather, or plastic. These containers are attached to the side of the seat or on the vehicle door.
They can be fastened with belts or jumper cables to avoid movement.
Side organizers have pockets to store small, daily-use objects such as phones, keys, pencil cases, and makeup accessories. Furthermore, side pocket organizers attached to car doors can hold tissue paper canisters and sports gear.
16. Attach Cup Holder Protectors
Install cup holders in the car in the space between the seats. Seat gap fillers can hold cup holders, which further levels up your car organization game.
Organizers attached to the back of the front seats can also hold cup holders. These accessories are perfect for holding a beverage upright when traveling.
The cups can be used to hold keys, pens, coins, and other small items as well.
17. Try Out Front Passenger Seat Organizer
Front passenger seat organizers are hefty bag-like carriers that can be attached to the headrest of the front seats. These organizers have different-sized compartments that will hold various items.
“Perfect for any trip and it can be kept in the front passenger seat or backseat as well.”
18. Attach Protective Rear Seat Covers
Rear seat covers are top-tier gear if you want to keep your car clean. The covers are made of synthetic material, which is waterproof. These covers keep the seats dry and prevent any spillage or strain on the actual seat covers.
A babyproof solution if you have messy toddlers running around. But this technique also works for messy adults.
19. Multi-pocket Back Seat Organizer
Invest in strong car back seat organizers with trays. These travel tray organizer tools can be purchased and attached to the front seat headrests.
The organizer is secured to the seat using belts. These bag-like structures have multiple compartments to help sort out your car’s organization. They can also be used as default storage for miscellaneous objects.
20. Specify Makeup Storage Containers
It’s not advised to leave out makeup brushes and powder in the car. This will cause the color to get everywhere and ruin your makeup accessories.
Instead, invest in makeup boxes or cases. Makeup cases can hold blush, brushes, blenders, and more items. These cases can be stored in the glove compartment or in another bag on the back seat.
21. Select Between Seat Organizers
Between seat organizers have several compartments that can be put to good use. Some between-seat organizers are designed to resemble bags. These organizers can hold electric devices such as tablets, phones, laptops, and more.
22. Arrange an Emergency Supplies Container
Keep a handy bag with necessary supplies such as a first aid kit, scissors, keys, and more materials. Make a list of the possessions you must carry on any trip.
A sleeping tent or sleeping bags should be added as a precaution. Keep all these items in a zipper bag or a container labeled for emergency situations.
23. Invest in Car Seat Gap Fillers
Car seat gap fillers are attached to block the gap between two seats. This item is useful to stop any small object from falling in between the seats.
Some of these gap fillers also come with tiny pockets. Use this small storage space to store keys, matches, pens, mobile phones, and spare change.
24. Arrange using Car Front Seat Organizers
Car seat organizers are carriers or containers that can be attached to the headrests of the front seats.
These organizers are usually made of clothes or plastic and have multiple pockets. Use these pockets to carry water bottles, magazines, tablets, and mobile devices.
The best seat organizers have separate compartments to carry specific items. Store pencils, brushes, pens, and small items in the thinner compartments and leave the larger ones open for more important items.
25. Invest in a Trunk Organizer
Trunk organizing baskets, boxes, crates, and carriers can help amp up your car arrangement to a great degree. These organizing containers can be secured to the trunk using ropes or zip ties.
Trunk organizers can carry folded clothes, food items, car accessories, and various tools. Feel free to use a zipper bag for trunk or cargo organization as well. Any box or crate with a cover will work just fine as your trunk organization container.
26. Pack a Portable Car Vacuum Cleaner
Cars have many tricky places that can’t be reached by hand. If there’s some dust stuck on the foot mats or if the kids have made a mess, you’ll need a handy tool to clean it up. That’s where portable car vacuums come into the picture.
A strong vacuum cleaner can remove crumbs and dirt from anywhere on the vehicle. Keep the cleaner inside one of the console drawers or in a bag in the trunk.
Remember to clean out the vacuum after every use. It’s important to keep all our cleaning tools in the best condition to ensure their quality and longevity.
27. Use Shower Caddies for Car Meals
Shower caddies can be used as an alternative to backseat organizers.
Attach the shower caddies to the back of the front seats with the help of ropes or velcro sheets. These organizers can hold small containers, bottles, fruits, crayon boxes, and readily packed meals.
28. Keep Pop-up Laundry Baskets in the Trunk
A foldable laundry basket made of soft plastic or cloth is a great addition to your trunk inventory. Whenever you do impromptu shopping or buy some groceries, it’s great to have a basket at hand to keep everything arranged.
The laundry basket or hamper can hold folded clothes, groceries, food, fruits, and toys. Also, these baskets can be stored on the backseats or directly in the trunk.
29. Clean Your Car Weekly
Setting up a weekly car cleaning routine will keep the vehicle neat and organized. For this, be sure to check under the car seats and inside the trunk. You should remove any unnecessary items to create space in the trunk and the back seats.
The car console can also be organized to free up storage space. Apart from the car interior, the outside should also be washed down with a water hose. Plus, remove the carpets and give them a wash before placing them back into the car.
30. Shake Up Your Car Storage Pattern Seasonally
Your car doesn’t need to pack every tool all year. For example, winter coats or extra gear aren’t needed during the summer. Rainy season essentials such as umbrellas, raincoats, and towels aren’t needed when it stops pouring.
So stock your car with season-appropriate accessories. First aid kits, refreshments, and snacks can be kept throughout the year. However, unloading out-of-season gear can make your car spacious and adaptable for all situations.
Drive Smart, Stay Organized!
All the innovative storage solutions presented here are the best ideas to organize your car for long road trips. Hence, make sure to follow these storage ideas strictly to maintain a clutter-free journey. These simple tips will help keep your car organized and always ready for the road.
So, what are you waiting for? Start implementing these ideas today and enjoy a smoother, more enjoyable ride every time you hit the road.
Happy organizing!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I make my car more organized?
The easiest way to make your car more organized is to avoid overcrowding it with random objects. Make a list of all necessary items for each trip and pack only the essentials. Invest in organizers and backpacks to store similar belongings together.
How do you pack a small car with lots of stuff?
It’s better to invest in car organizers, bags, and foldable bins to increase storage space in small cars. The bags can be used to sort similar objects and store them in the trunk.
How do I stop my car from being messy?
The best organization hack is to pack only the necessary items for the trip. Keep bare necessities such as first aid, an extra tire, and spare clothes in the trunk. The rest of the items, such as food, water, and sports equipment, can be packed in backpacks or separate containers.
