What you gon’ do with all that junk? All that junk inside your trunk. ~ Black Eyed Peas
Got car clutter? How about junk in the trunk or trash on the dash? Perhaps you have no idea who the Black Eyed Peas are (lyrics above) but you are nonetheless asking yourself what indeed you’re going to do with all that junk. Conquer the car clutter!
Take the Homillers, a Cary family who needs to organize their family van in time for summer vacation.
Annette, Dan, Sam, James and Pepper, their Portuguese water dog, are probably a lot like your family — busy and always on the go. And they have a minivan with too much junk!
Annette is a work-at-home mom and spends several hours a week in her minivan. In addition to chauffeuring her boys to basketball, karate, and choir practice, Annette plays soccer on a women’s soccer team in Cary, takes yoga classes, belongs to a book club, and does volunteer work for the Raleigh Boys Choir and her church.
Automobiles serve many purposes, but Annette’s minivan functions as an office, too. Waiting for her sons to finish activities allows time for her to sit in her vehicle and return calls, book appointments, open mail and process paperwork. The front seats act as a desk and can quickly clutter up with loose papers, notebooks and pens. The family vehicle also functions as a home away from home when the family is on the road. So, the Homiller minivan is also home to maps, spare change, food wrappers, receipts, coupons, CDs, books, sports gear, an umbrella and other miscellaneous items.
Join the Homillers as they say “happy trails” to the clutter. Start your engines!
1. Remove EVERYTHING from the car.
2. Wash the exterior, clean the interior and vacuum.
3. Visualize areas of your car as separate zones: front, middle, and cargo.
4. Consider the items that need to be put back into the car and how to stow them. Remember that loose items become dangerous flying objects in a fender-bender.
5. Preplan the use of organizing holders, containers and gadgets. If these organizers aren’t put to good use, then they become clutter, too.
Next week, we’ll look at organizers the Homillers – and you – can use to help to contain clutter in the car.
