Getting Organized for School - Cleaning out the Car

This is the last in my series of getting organized for school. Next month we'll look at National Preparedness Month to see how we might prepare for emergencies.

You don't often think of cleaning out your car as part of getting organized for school. However, as activities gear up, you'll probably find yourself chauffering your child to lessons, practices, school and such, spending more time in your car. Why not make it a pleasant place to be?

Let's start with the trunk. Corral those jumper cables, windshield washer fluid bottles, and whatever else you have back there into a container. A plastic crate works well, but you could use anything that does the job.

Get rid of accumulated trash, sports equipment, clothing, etc., and return them to their homes. Vaccuum if needed.

Now to the inside. Start with removing trash and other unecessary items. Evaluate: do you need some organizers for items you want to keep in the car - music, maps, sunglasses, etc. Some attach to the visor, others attach to the back of the front seats, while others sit on the console between the front seats.

While you're evaluating - what do you want to keep in the car at all times? We like to keep tissues, paper towels, music, maps, batteries for the dvd headsets, and change for toll roads. When our girls were in high school, I also kept deodorant in the glove box for those forgetful days. :-)

Give the car a good clean and you're ready to go!