Spring Clean Your Vehicle
Whether you use your automobile simply to get from Point A to Point B or you feel like you live in it, you need an organized space to serve you well in meeting your transportation needs. As we all focus on spring cleaning this time of year, let’s not neglect our vehicles. Here are 9 steps to make sure your car, truck, van, SUV or crossover vehicle is in tip-top share for the days, weeks and months ahead.
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1. Remove everything from the vehicle. Yes, we do mean everything, even what you know will belong in your fully cleaned vehicle. All the stuff, including the owners manual, your kids’ toys, trash, napkins and everything in between. Take it all out.
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2. Discard the obvious garbage. Latte cups, empty plastic food containers, snack bar wrappers, dirty napkins or used tissues can go immediately into the trash or recycling bin. No need to save those for later sorting; they simply need to be thrown out.
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3. Sort what you’ll be keeping. Group related items, like your owners manual would go with the tire pressure gauge as well as your vehicle registration information, and you could gather together kids stuff or your work resources or your organizational supplies. Consider the mantra “like with like” to organize it all.
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4. Clean the vehicle interior. Shake out the floor mats. Vacuum the floors and cloth seats. Wash the windows and mirrors. Wipe down the dash, doors and leather surfaces. Add a trash bin or bag.
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5. Assign homes to what is kept. Visualize how you’ll be using the front, middle and cargo zones. Consider an organizer to go on the back of your driver’s seat for kids to easily access what they’ll need from the back seat or for you to quickly select what work-related items you’ll need when hopping out for a meeting. Be creative about using alternative spaces, like above your visor. Implement storage containers, realizing that loose items can become hazardous in an accident.
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6. Stock your spaces strategically. Consider storing these in the glove compartment or center console: owner’s manual, vehicle registration and insurance documentation, auto club information, a paper map for when you’re in a cellular dead zone, lint brush, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, pre-moistened wipes, notepad, pen, flashlight, tire pressure gauge, phone charging cord, paper napkins and any other frequently needed or essential items.
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7. Add an emergency supplies’ kit. Store these in your vehicle’s trunk or rear area: jumper cables, flares, reflective tape, motor oil, a screwdriver, piers, at least one pair of scissors, duct tape, a first aid kit, work gloves, a blanket, large plastic garbage bags, an old towel or rags, a jug or a few bottles of water, energy bars, toilet paper and an umbrella. Consider adding anything that might be specific to your own needs, like a visor and suntan lotion if you’re outside for events a lot, hats and mittens for winter months or various types of ropes.
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8. Clean your vehicle’s entire exterior. Be sure to give the exterior as good of a cleaning as you’ve done for the interior. If you’re anywhere near me in North Carolina, we’re getting closer to the time that pollen will have lessened so watch out for this ideal time to give that vehicle exterior a little TLC. Make certain to get in all the nooks and crannies.
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9. Maintain your great accomplishment. Mark your calendar now for any upcoming needs that your vehicle might have. Check the sticker on your front windshield to see how soon you’ll be due for maintenance. Create appointments on your calendar to revisit your organizational systems seasonally, and, whenever you stop for gas, empty the trash..
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What tactics have you found to be most helpful in making sure your vehicle stays clean and organized to best support your goals and productivity?
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