One Insanely Simple & Effective Way I’ve Kept My Car Cleaned Out

Megan Starbuck
Jul 28, 2017 · 4 min read

If this one thing can work for someone like me who has halfway lived out of their car for the last ten years, then it’s worth a try for anyone else struggling in this area.

I will say that it worked wonderfully while I did it.

However, it worked so well, that my car stopped being cluttered…and so I stopped doing this one thing.

And over time my car became cluttered again.

So it’s more of an ongoing task, but a very simple one that I plan to implement again in my own life.

Before I did this one thing, I never really thought about how many times I get in and out of my car each week.

I’m someone who loves to stay home, so it might be even fewer times for me than others. Yet once I’m out and about, there’s lots of going back and forth to and from my car.

Every time I leave my house, the grocery store, or the mall. Every time I get gas. Every time I leave work.

Throughout the day if I’m going back to a messy car, that’s how many times I’m being inconvenienced by it.

Maybe I have to move stuff around to put the groceries in or to fit guests in my car. Maybe I’m embarrassed because people around can see all the trash I have. (My dad once said jokingly, “If you want a clean car: litter!”) Maybe it’s just a reminder of one more thing I need to do.

As someone who travels a lot, I feel like I live out of my car. When I put something in it, I’m very tempted to leave it because “I’ll probably need it again by next week anyway.”

But that’s the mentality that has caused my car to become more and more cluttered. During the few occasions between trips when my car has been completely decluttered, I have enjoyed the feeling of seeing nothing in the seats or floorboards. Once I get it to that point, I’m more likely to work harder to keep it that way.

So the first step is always to set aside time to get my car looking the way I want it. Yes, I have a million other things I could be doing and maybe I’ve gotten used to shoving things around, but I just have to start think about how nice it would be to see a clutter-free car the majority of the time I’m getting into it. That usually gives me the motivation I need to set aside time to make progress.

How I Keep a Clutter-Free Car

I used to think, “Ok, if I set aside one day a week to spend 30 minutes decluttering the car, that’ll make such a big difference.

And maybe one day it will.

But for now, I just haven’t gotten into that routine and am apparently not motivated to try it. It’s too easy for me to make excuses for not doing it (something comes up, I’m just not in the right mindset, or I just forget what day it is).

Usually when we are getting in the car, we’re in a hurry. When we’re getting out of the car, we are tired from a long day’s work or traveling. At other times, we’re in the house focused on what’s there and not thinking about our car. So I had to try something that wouldn’t take a lot of extra time or work.

And here it is, the #1 thing I did to get and keep my car cleaned out:

I took something extra with me every time I got out of the car.

This is the best because it’s pretty effortless but also really effective. It’s easy to make it a habit because it’s so simple, and it’s easy to remember.

Even if I’m just getting out of the car to pump gas, or if I’m at a restaurant or shopping center, I grab a piece of trash. It can be as small as just a straw wrapper, or it could be a whole bag of trash when I have it.

If I’m at home, I grab a jacket or pair of shoes to take inside with me. Establishing this habit makes a huge difference. I’m not having to make several trips back and forth to the car, besides what I regularly do (like when I have groceries).

Just one extra thing each time I’m already walking from the car to the house makes a big difference. And I don’t have to feel guilty when I don’t get everything. I know I’ll grab other stuff next time.

Does one thing sometimes turn into two or three? Yes, but onlywhen it’s manageable. That part is up to me. One is the minimum, and anything else is just extra because I want to do it.

This has helped me so much. Once I’ve made it a habit, it means I’m looking for and noticing the clutter instead of trying to block it out. It means I’m being aware of decluttering more often, which can remind me to declutter other areas of my life as well once I go inside my house.

My car doesn’t always look decluttered while using this method. Yet it’s definitely a lot easier and faster to get it that way after I’ve been implementing this habit for a while.

Sometimes I’m putting more stuff in my car than I’m taking out. But all of those times I’m getting out of my car really add up, and eventually it evens out.

I love being able to have a clutter-free car without having to spend half a day getting it that way. Especially during the times when I only get a day or two off per week.

For more simple ideas on how to make room for what matters most, check this out.

Megan Starbuck

Written by

Tiny House/Outdoor Enthusiast, World Traveler. Author of Packrat to Clutterfree coming soon. An INFJ who loves personality tests & Jane Austen.

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