Just because you don’t sleep in your car (cross fingers) doesn’t mean it’s any less of an extension of your space. Just as the physical surroundings of your home significantly impacts your peace of mind and general wellbeing, so, too, does the state of your car.

A clean, clutter-free car enables your daily routine. It supports you as you run hither and thither, and keeps you from throwing in the towel and crashing into the car in front of you out of pure traffic-frustration.

On the other hand, a car filled with junk of any kind–trash, kid-stuff, bags on bags, etc.–and one that’s dirty to boot, feels yucky to be in. And yucky spaces yield yucky moods and days and lives. See how your car’s maintenance just became the determinant of your having a happy or suck-tastic life?

Even if you don’t drive a large carpool or transport people’s excommunicated clutter to charitable organizations around town for sport, your car is bound to incur some bit of mess, whether inside or out.

Because maybe you haven’t brought in that case of bulk water bottles yet. Or you have a habit of eating kale chips behind the wheel (guilty, again). Maybe in the course of the week or two or whenever the hell the last time was you evaluated and attempted to remedy the state of your auto, you left things in the car that need to be brought in the house, you took things into the house that need to go back into the car, your kid ate a rice cake–one of those really healthy kinds–and we all know how that inevitably turns out.

No judgment. But take some time this weekend to sort the situation out, eh?

– Remove any and all unnecessary items from your car. Cars are very, very small spaces. This means that, like a person of short stature immediately shows weight they’ve put on, your car starts to feel bloated in no time at all.

– Deliver items from the car to their respective destinations, be they inside your home or retail locations, or elsewhere.

– Rid your car of all trash.

– Go get your wheels a wash. And interior cleaning. Or do the both your self. Because you’re so resourceful, after all.

– Institute a trash collecting system for future, or a ban on all things that will become trash (i.e. car eating).

– Ensure your car is equipped with all the supplies you need with you on the road, like napkins, proof of insurance, the emergency plastic fork for when you forget to pack your own, and so on.

Make that baby a vehicle of which you can be proud, and can feel clean and happy driving. It doesn’t matter if it’ll get dirty again in a couple of weeks. If that’s the case, in a couple of weeks, you’ll give it some love, again.

pssst: not sure what exactly it’s advisable to keep in your car? Check out this guy. 

And a few more things you might want with you in the car for outings. 

Need some extra motivation? Reminder: caring for your car is a privilege. 

Oh, and for those of you who don’t have a car, well, I guess you get the weekend off. Although, I mean, have you done all the other assignments around here?

Hey, thanks for reading! You all are the paliest pals. In return, I hope I’ve given you a nugget this week that will truly help you Live a little more Simply.

X.O.X.O. byeeeee

(That’s for my dad, who registered a pretty serious objection to there being no idiotic sign off last week. Byeeeeee dad. Byeeee guys.)

Image credit: SELF magazine