Another use for hooks? "A small compact umbrella so you don't have to get out and go in your trunk when it's already raining," says Shearer. You can also store your purse there, which is especially helpful if you have a friend, furry or human, riding in the front. Give them a no-nonsense home in the car by looping them over a headrest hook behind the front seat. And everyone knows the dreaded experience of getting to the grocery store only to realize you left the bags inside the house. Since reusable bags are the norm now, many of us (myself included) stow them in our cars to make shopping easier.
That way if you don't even want to label it, you just know that the red zippered pouch is registration and insurance," says Teplin. It helps you quickly identify what you're looking for. "For pouches, I tend to like the pack of clear with the different colored zippers. Shearer and Teplin are big fans of utilizing zippered pouches to corral like items such as emergency first aid, snacks, or even those all-important documents.
Top Car Organization Ideas from The Home EditĪs for how to organize your car, The Home Edit has some pretty creative ideas for adding storage to the small space. "It's helpful to designate the area so if you think of your glove compartment as for your docs, that's a clear path to what's in there," says Teplin. Storing important documents in the glove compartment is the perfect example. The trunk and glove compartment, on the other hand, should only hold things that won't need to be reached unless the car is parked. "The center console should be things you need touch access to, like hand sanitizer, a notebook and pen, wipes, anything you know that you're going to need to just reach in and grab,'' Shearer says. They also consider a car to have three "closets": the console, the glove compartment, and the trunk. Shearer and Teplin suggest designating specific zones for each area of the vehicle. While it lacks storage, a car is a much smaller space to tackle than a house. Story continues How to Declutter Your Car (And Keep It That Way) "I'm just as cranky if my car is not in absolute tip-top shape as I am if my home is not organized," jokes Teplin. And car clutter is no different from that in your home. Successfully taking business calls and answering emails from anywhere depends upon little distraction. For them, they start and end their days in the car, frequently turning it into a mini office on the go. The duo considers your car to be a compact home on wheels. "Treat it as a space you should honor and use to its fullest and not as a junk drawer." Even if it's paid in full, you still spend money on insurance, maintenance, and gas. Similar to paying rent or a mortgage for a home, having a lease or a loan on a car means you're putting money into it regularly. But The Home Edit sparked a change in this thought process. "People treat it like a garage or an attic or a space where they can throw stuff into it and deal with it later." When working with clients, I often refer to the car as a dumping ground and, admittedly, treat my own vehicle the same way. "The car is a back-burner situation," says Shearer. Read on to find inspiration to organize your car just like you would your home. I sat down with Shearer and Teplin to discuss why organizing your car is so important and scored their best tips on how to get and keep it tidy. Being that your car helps you run your day smoothly, one could argue that it takes top priority on your list of organization projects. According to the duo, cars are an extension of our homes (and, oftentimes, offices) and they should be given the same consideration we would give to a closet or pantry.
Now, you might be wondering what cars have to do with home organization. Recently, The Home Edit teamed up with the car maintenance company Jiffy Lube to advocate for a clean, well-run vehicle. Known for their love of clear containers and rainbow color coding, Shearer and Teplin took the organizing industry storm upon the show's debut and are partially responsible for making home organization services more mainstream.
Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the professional organizing duo behind The Home Edit, help clients and viewers of their Netflix series, Get Organized with The Home Edit, learn how to tidy up their spaces in style.