Challenge #20 – The Car

Bundle up and head outside for a quick clean up of your car today!

Let’s recall the process we are using throughout the month:

THE PROCESS

• Gather your supplies:
  • Boxes or bags labeled with:
    • “Donate”
    • “Elsewhere”
    • “Store”
  • Trash can/recycle bin
  • Damp rag/wet wipe

• Empty challenge area for the day. And by empty, I mean EMPTY.

• Once the area is empty, wipe it clean with a damp rag.

• Now sort the items into these categories: (The Seana Method’s R.E.D.D.S. system)
  • R- “Restore”: items to go back in
  • E- “Elsewhere: items to keep, but which don’t belong in this space
  • D- “Donate”
  • D- “Dispose”: trash or recycle
  • S- “Store”: items to keep for sentimental reasons, or perhaps for a long-term future use, but which are not regularly used. (These items will eventually need to go into a bin/box in an attic, basement, or closet.)

• As you are sorting, put items into the boxes/bags you prepared.

• Once you are finished sorting, put the “Restore” items back into your designated area.

• Carry the “Elsewhere” box/bag around your house and redistribute its contents.

• Move the “Donate” box/bag to the car to be donated.

• Trash/recycle the “Dispose” items

• Put the "Store" box aside for now. When the month is over, these items will be packaged for long-term storage.

THE TASK

Let’s face it, we live in our cars. And anywhere we live, we accumulate clutter. About once a month, repeat this activity:

1. Go through the car and remove all trash. Throw it away. (A quick tip is to empty trash from your car whenever you pump gas.)
2. Remove all objects which do not belong in your car. Put them in your “Elsewhere” box (see above.)
3. Move “emergency objects” to a back storage area (e.g. flashlight, blanket, ice scraper, umbrella, first aid kit.)
4. Remove any sports/recreational equipment that is out of season and move it to the garage.
5. Make sure you have current registration paperwork in your glove box. Shred any expired paperwork.
6. Gather “entertainment items” (e.g. stuffed animals, rattles, earphones) to a cloth box/bag. Secure the bag to the back seat so items won’t fly around.
7. Wipe surfaces with a warm, wet rag.
8. Take your “Elsewhere” box and redistribute items to their rightful spaces in your home.

Minimizing the clutter in your car not only makes for a more pleasant ride, it is also a safety precaution; loose items can be harmful in the case of an accident. For more information on organizing your car, check out The Seana Method’s blog on this topic. Two more challenges to complete GO! Month!

Submitted by Seana Turner, founder and President of The Seana Method