If you’re like us, your car’s trunk is where everything ends up, thrown together in a jumble. You know things are getting bad when your kids insist on walking to school to avoid the risk of sitting on a rotting Twinkie—or worse. (How is it, by the way, that jumper cables somehow manage to tie themselves in knots?)
And every time you hit the brakes the mass slides forward—threatening to engulf you in a toxic cloud of Cheerios, fast food wrappers, and those gym shorts you’ve been missing.
Well, good news! There are great solutions to this automotive chaos. You might have heard about the wonders that California Closets has bestowed upon untidy homeowners, and that stuff isn’t even commuting with you. eBay offers similar solutions for car trunks and back seats, and none of it is expensive or difficult to install.
Let’s Get Started
This trunk organizer uses straps to prevent your stuff from sliding around.
Let’s start with trunk organizers. From Drive Auto Products, here’s a well-made trunk storage organizer for $24.87. It comes with two adjustable straps to tie it down and avoid the sliding-around problem in your trunk or front seat. Sometimes these units are too floppy, but this one comes with 13 base-plate stiffeners to keep the heavy-duty fabric upright.
More than 2,000 of these $6 portable and collapsible organizers have been sold.
It also has two folding pockets with Velcro closures for work-related stuff like tablets, phones, and binders, and another eight open-mesh pockets on the other end. “Slipped right into my new SUV,” said one happy owner. “Looks like original equipment!” We’d add, “Avoided turning my iPhone into a projectile.”
Bargain hunters might try the very simple Game Gear folding organizer for just $5.95. Yes, it’s basic, with three compartments and one mesh pocket. If you’re just trying to keep the milk from spilling, this might be the ticket. It holds 22 pounds, and folds easily when not in use. (And if milk spilling seems inconsequential to you, just ask someone how spoiled milk in a hard-to-reach spot smells after two weeks.)
Somewhere between these two models is WawaAuto’s $14.95 organizer, which weighs just 1.4 pounds but can accommodate 65 pounds of goods. Made of polyester fiber, it can be used fully or half opened and folds flat with buckles to keep it that way. There are three compartments (with a removable subdivider), and two outside pockets with Velcro flaps. A pair of hand grips makes the unit easily portable.
This organizer has two big pockets and, when empty, folds very flat.
Under the category of SUV cargo organizers, the colorful YesSources $18.90 organizer has two big pockets and folds into a handy briefcase-type tote with handles. It’s beefy, too, so looks like it could actually support something more than a 24-pack of Charmin.
What About the Back Seat Area?
Once you have the cargo area squared away, it’s time to tackle the rest of your vehicle—you know, those areas where passengers used to ride? You might consider following suit with rear-compartment organizers. Some cars come with handy pockets in the backs of the front seats, but many don’t bother.
eBay has a great selection of back-seat organizers specifically to accommodate kids.
For $14.24 (per side), this smart-looking leather organizer hangs on the back of the seat and offers storage specifically for tissue boxes, iPads, umbrellas, and of course water bottles and coffee cups. It’s got everything but the flight attendant coming by with peanuts.
That’s the executive version. eBay also has back-seat organizers specifically to accommodate kids. That’s important because the gear necessary to move a kid from point A to point B grows exponentially every year. An alternative is a waterproof travel caddy that sits on the passenger floor or on a seat. Many come with insulated cup holders, pockets for small items, and a large storage bin. Most of these units fold flat.
Now wasn’t that easy? Don’t forget to casually mention to your neighbors that you’ve tidied up your car, so they don’t have to report it to the EPA as an environmental hazard.
