Often we'll travel across the country to visit friend and family and more than once we've been stuck in traffic for hours upon hours including one time when we were stuck in a blizzard on the mountain-y part of the M62. Fun. I like our car to be practical and organised without too much bulk (well y'know I'll be there but...) weighing down and drinking up petrol.
How to organise a car
1. Take everything out. Go on. Empty out the glove box, the boot (including the secret compartment), under the seats, the seat pockets, the compartments in the doors and anything on the parcel shelf. Get every single thing out. If you can be bothered give it a good whizz round with a vacuum cleaner and maybe even a wipe with a wet cloth. Imagine how much dead skin is in there.
2. Throw out anything dirty, half eaten or just plain useless.
3. Make a pile of things which need to be returned to your house - put them into a bag in your hallway and return 1-2 items a day.
4. Make a pile of 'must haves.' Ours includes -
- First aid kit
- High vis jacket
- Fire blanket
- A list of essential phone numbers and membership numbers for your breakdown service etc.(you may not have access to your phone or purse if God forbid you're in an accident.)
- Bag of loose change in case we need to use a toll or payphone.
- Sunglasses
- A couple of cloths (for wiping steamed up windows or mirrors. They're also handy for spills too)
- Unopened water bottle.
- Deicer & ice scraper (these never leave our car, you'd think they'd be a seasonal thing but no, we live in Manchester).
5. Make a pile of 'handy things to have' Ours includes -
- Umbrella (great for dashing to the shops and essential should you ever break down in the rain/snow)
- Tissues
- Baby wipes (we picked up sensitive skin and biodegradable wipes in one from the supermarket - they're fab for wiping sticky or oily hands)
- Picnic blanket/fleecy blanket (handy if you want to stop for a picnic but also great for keeping warm on long journeys or if you break down/get stuck)
- Suncream
- MP3 connection cable
- GB Map
- Contact lenses (Mr Thrifty always makes sure he has spares just in case the sun decides to make an appearance and he needs to wear shades - he no likey the shades over regular glasses look - pity)
- Plastic bags (useful as rubbish bags - keep Britain tidy and all that)
- Shopping bags.
- Anti bac gel
- Hand towel
- CDs (we keep ours in a little zip up case because having 15 CD cases flying out of a glove box as you turn as roundabout is never fun.
If you have children think about including a favourite book, CD or occupying toy. My friend keeps a small, basic baby change bag in the car at all times because she knows something will be forgotten along the way if she doesn't.
Seasonal changes
Just because we've had some pretty horrid experiences of being stuck in harsh weather I like to be prepared. As soon as October comes round I'll pop hats, scarves and gloves in the boot and spare socks too. Whenever we travel more than an hour away from home in the winter I like to take a flask of hot water and a few sachets of hot chocolate or cuppa soups.
6. Work out where you're most likely to use these items and where to store them.
This is the Wednesday task from Daily Housewifery Prompts.
TTFN,
P.S. Is your car nice and organised or it is it full of crisp wrappers and old tissues?
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Make a boot-liner from an old sheet or curtain. Completely cover the carpet with this. Why? Because it is easy to shake or wash a sheet but difficult to shampoo or wash the carpet in the boot of the car. If you are travelling with something that rolls about, then tuck the sheet around it and, voila, no more movement. The sheet can also be used for picnics, warmth, covering vomitty seats, etc.
ReplyDeleteKeep one day aside every week for car cleaning, and either wash or vacuum. Yes, I have had a heap of other responsibilities and I have done it for 25 years. Clean car - good trip.
My car is filth - I love your blog so much! Everyone thinks I'm sooo organised but your blog puts me to shame! ha! Thank you, I can now live up to their expectations!
ReplyDeleteOooooh - the mountainy part of the M62 is near where I live (kind of) and I moved over here from Tameside (Gtr Mcr) so we're like location sisters or something - ok probably not! And our car is of the crisp wrapper and old tissue variety - so, again, nothing in common... Except I do love your blog - I grew up in a house that was terminally messy and unclean and I need instruction when it comes to housework - because I just don't know how to do it properly. I've tought myself thru trial and error and sometimes you just know that there must be a better way of doing stuff but you don't know what it is! So, yeah, thanks! Xx
ReplyDeleteThis is great advice, thanks. I love your blog and I'm loving the posts this week
ReplyDelete:)
I have a plastic box from Poundland that my dad got me. It lives in my rear footwell and when dad buys me something for the car, like WD-40, it goes in the box. Box also contains a bottle of water, ibuprofen and a mini first aid kit. As I say to my boyfriend; I'm just one of those girls who likes to be ready for everything that could happen, everything.
ReplyDeleteEven though I don't own a car yet, I do love to watch posts like this were everything is neat and tiddy haha crazy I know! :) Ixx
ReplyDeleteOur is the car full of crisp packets, discarded McDonald cups etc.
ReplyDeleteSome great tips, we definitely need a clean out!
I don't drive, but am often packed into my friend's tiny cars for road trips. My best friend had an accident a few years ago (her sister rolled their car) and since has been entirely obsessive about not having anything out of place in her car. She won't have anything loose. It all must go in the glove-box, or the boot or in the doors. No putting things on the dashboard or flinging your bag onto the back seat when you get in her car. If you have an accident, especially if the car rolls, all that loose stuff flies everywhere and can get some speed up as it falls. Lots of people are injured in rolling accidents, not by the accident itself, but by being hit by something flying off the backseat. Put your stuff away safely, folks!
ReplyDeleteThis is what it is all about. Thank you for posting this information.
DeleteI've bought seat organisers and a plastic box for our boot to try and keep everything neat and tidy but just like my unorganised house my ca4r is usually full of junk too! I try my best but I have to tidy it at least once a week.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding me I need to do a once over on the car before we go on holiday - we've acquired so much junk in it. I might do it this evening if the weather holds off.
ReplyDeleteMy little car (Fiat 500) doesn't have a glove box and the dog is usually in the boot so there's not a lot of storage potential - but at least you've given me the nudge to go clean it. :)
ReplyDeleteOur car is very nearly organised, I just need to add a blanket and the phone numbers!
ReplyDeleteMaria xxx
I just wanted to comment and say how much I love your housewifery posts :)
ReplyDeleteGah, my car is full of babybel wax wrappers and old parking tickets *shamefaced*. Must address this.
ReplyDeleteGood ideas - All I have in my car is my de-icer stuff and a couple of cd's. Maybe the odd parking ticket. I'll have to add a first aid kit, phone numbers etc. :) x
ReplyDeleteIve got the essential fold up stool in my boot along with a blue plastic bin for spare bulbs, cable grips, de-icer, petrol can and jumper cables as well. Oh, and its quite handy to keep your car manual and music system manual in the car as well.
ReplyDelete:o)
These are some great tips :) xxx
ReplyDeletehttp://jeminixlife.blogspot.com