How to Spring Clean Your Car

Cleaning Tips

Before you can organize your car's essential items, you'll need to give it a good spring cleaning. Begin by removing all trash and clutter. Do you really need three travel mugs in the backseat? Two umbrellas? Take the time to remove unnecessary items and create more space for what you really need.

After removing the "junk," it's time to clean! Wipe down and vacuum your car's interior. Your local convenience store has several inexpensive products to get you started. Be sure to move the seats forward to get the hidden dirt and grime. Once you've completed some basic cleaning, use these tips to fine tune the job.

• Use a toothbrush to get settled dirt out of small spaces in your vinyl.
• Dusty air vents? Use a foam craft brush to clean out the crevices.
• Stubborn bugs on your grill? Use dryer sheets to remove with ease! Once you've "de-bugged," use cooking spray to remove any leftover gunk.
• Oxidized headlights? Spread non-gel toothpaste on a cloth and rub in small circles to make them look good as new.
• Don't forget the other nooks and crannies! Hold a cloth tight around an old screwdriver (with dull edges) and spray with cleaning solution to clean trim lines.
• Compressed air isn't just for your keyboard! Grab your can and get dust out of those hard to reach places.
• Does your furry friend travel with you often? Consider investing in a pet seat cover to minimize the dander that sticks around in your car.
• Get the kids involved and wash the outside of your vehicle for a sparkly finish.

Organization Tips

Now that you've done the dirty work, it's time to organize what's left! Use these tips to make the most of your vehicle's interior space.

• In a pinch, could you locate your insurance card? Your registration? Instead of fumbling through your center console for these documents, keep them all in one place with a document organizer. Keep a notepad and pen with the documents in case you need to copy down another driver's information.
• Line your cup holders silicone cupcake cups. These catch items like spare change and are easy to clean and replace when necessary.
• Utilize the backs of your seats, especially the passenger seat, for storage. This idea is especially great for kids! Consider strapping a shoe organizer to the back of the passenger seat to store tissues, colored pencils, crayons and more with ease.
• Store plastic bags in empty tissue boxes for wet clothes or random trash.
• Use one of the plastic bags you've stored to line a plastic cereal container as a garbage can.
• Keep a "clean-up kit" complete with napkins, cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer and more to clean up small messes on-the-go. Don't forget a small first aid kit as well!

Let's cruise! With these organization tips, you'll be road-trip ready in no time. For more expert advice, explore the rest of our blogs.