Clean Out Your Car!

Have you seen the Fabreeze commercial where the mom saves all of the stuff that accumulates in her car in a week and then loads it into the car? And then the family climbs in, blindfolded, and talks about how fresh the car smells.

Would anybody do that with your car?

I try to keep mine pretty clean - mostly cause it’s less than a year old and I want to take care of it - but still, stuff accumulates.

Right now in my car I have a receipt from the gym, a shopping list my son wrote when I sent him to the store, and my daughter’s school notebook. Even though she doesn’t live with us or even near us, she somehow manages to junk up my car. Just this morning I threw out a chip bag she’d left behind.

For a lot of us ADD Moms, our car is like our second home. Driving to work and back, running the kids here and there, running errands - the list is endless. We eat and we drink in our cars. When I had 2 kids under the age of 2 and was foolishly trying to complete my college degree at the same time, I sometimes took a nap in my car between classes. It wasn’t so much a choice as a necessity.

So today is a good day to clean out your vehicle. Go throw the stuff that’s accumulated and get it in some kind of order.

Toss the garbage.

Now evaluate what’s left. What belongs in the car and what doesn’t?

There are actually some things that do belong in your car, and that might be different for each person.

For me, I’m leaving my daughter’s notebook in there because it’s hers and she might need it and the only way we see one another is if a car is involved.

If you live where the seasons change, it’s about time to make sure you have a good scraper in your car for the winter.

A flashlight is a good idea, and maybe a couple of bottles of water. I also like to keep wet wipes for your hands in the car. There’s nothing worse than stopping for gas and getting it on your hands and not being able to get rid of the smell.

If you frequently find yourself driving on fumes without any money, you might want to take Flylady’s suggestion and keep a $20 bill in your glove compartment.

My mom always kept a box of tissues in her car and I have a friend who always has a granola bar or two in hers.

You can keep the necessities in your car and still keep it neat and clean.

So go on - clean out your car!

Tagged as: AD/HD, ADD, ADD Moms, Attention Deficit Disorder, car, clean, clutter, Fabreeze, housekeeping, Organization, organized, structure, systems