We often do a decluttering and deep cleaning of our homes from top to bottom but there's another thing we use pretty much every day that we forget about...your car! Think about it...you use your car a lot and it can get pretty messy. I try to clean mine out thoroughly every season and as long as I keep up on it, it's not too bad after you get the first time out of the way. So here's how to declutter and clean out your car.
1. Start Inside
Don't even worry about washing your car yet because the real mess is probably inside. So decide which part you want to start in...your trunk, front seats, back seats, or do it all at the same time.
2. Empty
You need to remove everything in your car in order to determine what's trash, what can go somewhere else, and what can be neatly put back. This means those side pockets, seat pockets, and even the glove box.
3. Pitch
The easiest thing to do first is to throw out any trash or things that can become trash. If you don't need it anymore why is it still in your car? In the future, keeping a small plastic shopping bag tucked somewhere in your car is a great way to prevent trash from accumulating in various spots.
4. Put away
Sometimes things end up in our cars and they definitely don't belong there. They basically become blended into our cars. Like that extra jacket you didn't need because it was warm enough out that you buried on the floor in the back seat. So take the things that don't belong in your car and immediately put them where they do go. Don't just make a pile in your garage, because then you run the risk of letting those things sit there and it's STILL not in the right place.
5. Scrub the inside
While everything's still out of the car, it's a perfect time to clean top to bottom. Wipe down your dash and any hard surfaces, vacuum the seats and the floor. Remove floor mats and hose them down (you'll need to let them dry as well). Vacuum in the storage compartments and finish with a wipe down. Clean inside windows and windshields and don't forget to wipe down your steering wheel. And remember, when vacuuming, work top to bottom so do the seats first before the floor, that way if stuff falls on the floor when you're cleaning the seats, you can just get it when it's time to vacuum the floor.
6. Organize
The stuff that is left is what should be kept in your car so now that all your nooks and crannies are cleaned and sanitized, it's time to put everything away. Try to keep things organized in a way that makes sense. Stuff that will be needed in the back seat only, can easily be stored in the rear seat pockets.
7. Trunk time
If you haven't already, the trunk is a very important part of your car to clean. Follow the above steps before putting anything that you normally store there back in.
8. Car wash
Now that your car is clean on the inside, it's time to clean the outside. You can do this yourself or take it somewhere.
It's important to take care of your vehicles because for starters, the cleaner they look inside, the less attractive they are to a would-be thief that looks in to see if there's anything worth stealing. Taking care of the outside of your car is good for your paint and a good way to look over your car regularly for any scratches or dings you may not have noticed yet.
When's the last time you cleaned out YOUR car?
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