This Is The Stuff You Have Rolling Around In Your Car
I asked you earlier this week what you had inside of your cars. I shared a moment of vulnerability with you and described my garbage lifestyle, hoping for some camaraderie. Never again. Instead, I mostly heard from you, the pure types, who said your cars are pristine spaces of wellness and harmony. Your feng shui? Unassailable. Your cars, you said, are Marie Kondo'd to high hell. Well, bully for you. Some of us are gremlins and that's just the way it is. But gremlins can aspire to be more than the sharp-clawed swamp dwellers. I can be more.
Inspired by your answers, I took a second look around the old Volkswagen. I cleaned up the empty Ollie cans and paid that parking ticket. I found other stuff I'd forgotten about completely: my super-duper ice scraper still in the back seat (you never know, we've had snow in May before), a semi-exploded bottle of leather seat cleaner, and several empty coffee cups from our local Yemeni coffee joint, Haraz Coffee. (Shout out to Haraz. Definitely visit them if you are ever in town.)
Okay, so I could do a better job not living in my car. Or I could start living better in general. My car is now picked up, wiped down and clean enough to eat out of (which you should never do). Below you'll find plenty of inspiration to get off your keister and give your car a clean. Thanks for much needed kick in the butt, Jalopnik readers!
Sometimes you've got to let your Svenska flag fly
I don't like having too many things in my car. I have a stack of napkins, a phone charger cable, and a stack of reusable grocery bags. The most random thing I have stashed in there is a JDM wakaba leaf with a Swedish flag design instead of the usual green and yellow pattern. I initially got it for my first car which was a Volvo, and decided to keep it anyway even though I no longer drive a Swedish car.
From Giantsgiants
Children are disgusting
My 2009 hatchback has a mobile bike shop in it; from a stand to tools, to pumps, and chemicals.
My 2023 commuter is empty and clean, not even a drink bottle stays in it when I get out.
My 2013 minivan has been on kid duty for 12 years, every day is a different mess in there whether it's sweaty lacrosse gear, muddy boy scouts gear, or dog fur, but really it's most likely combination of all of them plus whatever they ate and didn't throw out along the way. Thank God for WeatherTech mats.
From potbellyjoe
Straight off the showroom floor
The only thing visibly exposed you'll see in my car when I'm not in it is water bottles, and seasonally, a snow brush on the floor in the back seat. I do have the center console and glovebox stuffed with tissues, napkins, charging adapters, pens, etc. The frunk had an emergency medical kit and some reflective triangles. Trunk has some reusable bags under the false floor.
From StalePhish
Truck upholstery loves him, fish fear him
A car seat and seat covers across the 2nd row on my 2020 Warlock. Kids and carseats destroy seat fabric. Under the driver's seat I keep a telescoping fishing pole and small essential tackle kit. My kids have activities and practices and I have hours to burn, and it's easy to find a small local pond or lake close to most places in town.
From Daniel Bax
A stack of CDs! Remember those?
I made the mistake with my last car of treating it like a disposable appliance, so it was constantly a mess.
With the new car i purchased in March, i went back to my strict 'no food/no drink' policy so it's much cleaner and a much more pleasant driving environment. My current inventory of junque includes several flashlights, a USB charging cable, and a stack of CDs with probably waaay more Pink Floyd than is considered healthy.
Oh and there's the bar of Dr.Squatch sandalwood soap under the seat i'm using as an air freshener.
From Earthbound Misfit I
That subway didn't need all of those napkins
Wayyyyy too many napkins in the glovebox.
But aside from that and a USB cable or two, that's it.
From MP81
Girls just want to have fun (and not clean out their cars)
The car I refer to as "my car" is reasonably clean. The usual ballpoints, tissues, icescrapers. Manual in the glovebox. Dayglo vests and straps in the trunk.
My daughter's car, which also technically belongs to me, is like the inside of a massively oversized, extremely messy purse. Used tissues, food wrappers, boxes from jewellery and cosmetics, cat stuff, forgotten clothing, empty drink containers – if it shouldn't be in there, it probably is.
From Ara Can
Sounds like MacGyver's car
Lots of napkins and USB cables, but also items that I have found helpful time and time again:
Nail clipper
Small folding knife
Keys to my mother's house in case I need to get in there for some reason
Lip balm
Minty gum
A reusable travel mug for those coffee runs. I hate the waste generated from disposable cups, and some retails give me a discount for bringing my own mug.
From Colonel Panic
Prepared for anything
In the front seat, I have:
A CD book because my car doesn't have an auxillary audio input,
My sunglasses
A sunshade for my windshield, so the Arizona sun doesn't ruin my dash
In the glove box, I have:
Napkins
Extra plastic forks and spoons leftover from fast food
In the trunk:
Moving blanket
Fender cover
Some shop rags
Toolbox with the essentials
A pair of work gloves
Sun hat
A basic breakdown kit with first-aid, jumper cables, flashlight, etc, which is in the process of being upgraded into a kit that would actually be useful with high-quality tools
A marine flare kit, including road flares, a smoke signal, and a flare gun, all 30 years old.
A fire extinguisher that I need to have recharged
Spare tire and scissor jack
A light that runs off of my cigarette lighter
A box of stuff I keep meaning to donate
A bag of zip ties because one of my buddies has a bad habit involving his front bumper and curbs, so I often find myself assisting in piecing his front end back together so he can drive it home without anything scraping
A tow rope is on my to-purchase list
Basically my little '06 Hyundai Sonata has become the designated support vehicle for my family and friends, so I try to keep a pretty comprehensive emergency/repair kit
P.S. If you have any suggestions on what I should keep, please let me know, I'm working on adding more tools and items so that I am prepared for as many situations as possible.
From Racer09
What's a car without emergency snacks?
Lots of things, but they all have their place. Under the panel in the back is my hitch with some red shop rags, some IKEA bags one being lined, a blanket that was my parents, all pink and flowery and vintage 1975. Two towels that I've had since 1996.Towles and blanket wrapped together with my first motorcycle tail net. In the center console is a bag of phone chargers, a couple of nick knacks from my mom, small tape measure, spare sunglasses #1, few pens, glove box has sugary snacks because diabeetus, napkins, and a spare straw or two, fingernail kit. Overhead has night driving glasses. Foor has flashlight and soft rags for wiping things down. Change is in a mini IKEA bag in the center console. Kleenex is behind the center console in a plastic container that fits just right. Umbrella or ice scraper fits between driver seat and door.
From McKoogly