Clearing the clutter from your car

If you’ve ever ridden in a friend’s car, maybe you’ve experienced something like this: you open the passenger side door to sit down, you see the vehicle is overflowing with junk. It can get pretty ugly and stuff can accumulate quickly without us even realizing it.

You can declutter your vehicle by following these 5 simple steps:

Step 1: Take everything out
Dedicate a few hours to gut out all the stuff in your car or truck: Paperwork, receipts, sports gear, kids’ toys, candy wrappers, old french fries stuck between the seats, your tools — all of it. This includes your trunk, if you have one.

Have two trash bags: one with stuff you want to keep, the other for trash. Go through your vehicle and toss everything into one of those two bags.

Step 2: Clean it
Vacuum the carpet and seats. Grab some Armor All or another cleaner and wipe down the dashboard, steering wheel, doors and center console. Clean off any stains on the seats. If you want to go the extra mile, get an air freshener for your vehicle.

Step 3: Wash it
Since you’ve cleaned the inside, might as well clean the outside. Wash and detail it. Stop by Scrubby’s any day or wait until Monday when you can get a car wash for just a buck! Now you’ve got yourself a slick ride!

Step 4: Actually keep it clean
Make this a rule from now on: Anything you bring into your vehicle, take out when you leave. If you have kids in your vehicle, make sure they take any toys or food wrappers with them. This rule will get you used to seeing your vehicle in a different way — clean — and will motivate you to keep it that way. Leave only a handful of items you will be using within the next few days, but take them out when you’re done. Use a small plastic bag or bin on the floor of the passenger’s side as a trash can for things you accumulate throughout the week. Empty it out periodically.

Step 5: Reap the benefits
This step really isn’t a step, but it’s the most rewarding. Take a look at your vehicle now! Long gone are your feelings of embarrassment when people get into your car and see your clutter. Instead, they’ll be impressed by your tidiness, and they may be inspired to do the same to their vehicle.

It’s easier to KEEP your vehicle clean than to clean it. Remember that.