Ready for some kick-butt car hacks every mom should know about? Well, you’re about to get them, and you’re gonna be soooo happy that you stopped by today!
We’re not talking about all those overly organized, unreachable Pinterest mom hacks that require a trip to Hobby Lobby and spending a hundred bucks. No ma’am.
We’re talking about 9 legit car hacks that are useful for everyone that owns a car and has to haul kids around in that thing!
Bet there’s a few things on this list you haven’t thought of before.
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CAR KEYS ON A LANYARD
If you’ve ever lost your keys or locked them in your car, then this car hack is for you.
Now, I’ll be honest. I’m not someone that loses many things or locks the keys in my car, it just doesn’t happen to me very often.
But there was this one time …
I set my keys down in the cup holder while I was unbuckling my toddler. Then I grabbed the grocery bags off the seat and took them into the house. My toddler followed behind me, but not before he slammed the car door shut, with the keys still in the cupholder. Ahhhhh!
The car auto locked, and we were locked out until my husband arrived with the spare key.
Do yourself a favor.
Put your car keys on a simple lanyard like this one, so that you never misplace them or lock them in the car.
As soon as you pull the keys out of the ignition, put them around your neck and move on with your day … with free hands!
BOOK BASKET FOR THE KIDS
My kiddos are still small and they’re both in car seats. When we’re in the car, they love to look at picture books! It keeps them busy, and it limits the amount of Disney soundtracks that I have to play on repeat.
We keep a little basket full of board books and a few soft toys between them on the back seat.
This way, they always have a plushy and a book within reach if they get bored.
We also switch out the books every few weeks, so they have something new to look at. You can even buy a simple little plastic book bin from the Dollar Tree, or you can buy a fancy car seat organizer like this.
SPARE CLOTHES IN ZIPLOG BAGS
Accidents happen, and sometimes they happen at the worst possible time (like when you’re stuck in traffic on the freeway)!
Make sure you have a spare set of clothes for each family member in the car, including diapers for baby and undies for older kids. I just keep extra clothes in a plastic storage bag under the back seat. Out of site and available if we need them.
If you use disposable bags, go for the gallon-size storage bags with a zipper for easy access. If you want reusable bags, try these gallon-size easy seal storage bags.
FABRIC TRASH CAN
Once upon a time, I saw a car hack that said you can use a cereal Tupperware container as a trash can. That sounded GREAT in theory!
Tried it, and it was a major fail.
It’s just hard to fit larger items, like diapers and fountain drink cups, into the lid opening of those cereal canisters. If you leave the lid off, trash falls out of the bin, which defeats the whole purpose. And that hard plastic is just a bit too bulky and inflexible if you have a smaller vehicle.
Fabric trash cans are a much better option!
That’s why this flexible fabric trash can (with an odor-blocking lid) gets a spot on our list of car hacks every mom should know.
Fabric trash bins can be folded up if you’re not using them. They can hang from the seat, hook to your gear shifter, or hook to the lid of the center console. They are flexible too, so you can squeeze them into places that bulky Tupperware containers just can’t go.
If you want to make your own, I found this fabric trash can tutorial that looks simple enough! But if you are on the non-crafty side (like me), just grab a functional trash bin like this one from Amazon or a handmade trash bin like this one from Etsy.
NO PLASTIC DRINK BOTTLES
Alright, this is less of a car ‘hack’ and more of a car ‘rule’.
If you limit the amount of potential waste that comes into the car, you naturally limit the amount of trash and clutter that needs to come out of the car.
We have a ‘no plastic bottle’ rule in our car, and let me tell ya, it makes a difference!
No more plastic water bottles and Gatorade bottles piled up to the ceiling and pouring out of the car every time you open the doors.
The only drink containers that are allowed in the car are our water flasks.
Okay, okay … we make the occasional exception when we stop off for a coffee or grab a soda through the drive through on a busy day (we’re not total weirdos, it’s all about balance). But for the most part, we don’t bring throw-away beverage containers into our car.
It cuts down on waste, forces us to drink more water, and keeps the clutter at bay.
SEAT PROTECTORS
If you have kids that love crumby food and playing with sticky toys, seat protectors will be a lifesaver.
For an easy DIY seat protector, just throw a thin dish-drying mat down under the car seats. It’ll catch little crumbs and spills, and you can just take them out and shake them off when you’re cleaning out the car.
If you want to get a little more fancy, you can grab full seat protectors like these.
LINE YOUR CUPHOLDERS
If you aren’t following hack # 5, then chances are, you have some sticky residue in your vehicle cupholders. You can easily line the inside of your cupholders with press and seal wrap to control the sticky residue from drinks, gum, or candy.
Another alternative:
Use silicone cupcake holders to catch loose coins, candies, hair pins, and other small random objects… Digging pennies out of that sticky candy residue is the WORST. This hack helps you avoid that whole battle.
Plus, you just can’t beat the cuteness and brightness of these silicone cupcake holders, amiright?!
PACK YOUR EMERGENCY KIT
Gotta be prepared for anything right?
Every car should have a simple little emergency kit that you can use in the unexpected event that something sucky goes down!
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive either. Just a simple backpack with snacks, water, first aid supplies, a flashlight, etc.
Here is everything that we have packed in our vehicle emergency kits.
FRESHEN UP THE AIR
Keep the stinky smells at bay with this easy air freshener car hack: put some baking soda and a few drops of your favorite essential oil into a little spice shaker like this.
Sprinkle the mixture all over the floors and in all the crevices, let sit for an hour, and then vacuum it up! I do this a couple times a month when I’m cleaning out the car – it’s super quick and easy and freshens up the car so well.
OTHER CAR HACKS?
Although I’m sure there are plenty of other car hacks we could try, these are the big ones that make my life so much easier!
I couldn’t hold back this list for another minute! These are simple car hacks that every mom should know about, and I’m sure we’ll be able to add more to the list as time goes on.
Pin this baby for later and be sure to check in for more mom hacks soon!
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Everything You Need in Your Vehicle Emergency Kit