Works for me Wednesday - the car edition

When I thought about this week’s theme, none of the things I do really stood out as anything exciting, so I thought I’d just share 10 things I do to keep my car clean, tidy and organised.

Clean
1. I don’t eat anything worse than fruit in my car and of course, I don’t allow any eating in my car by other people either.
2. I don’t allow people to smoke in my car – this is if I give somebody a lift because Dion and I don’t smoke.
3. I also have some wet wipes in my cubby-hole to wipe my hands from the fruit. I then use the same wet wipe to clean my steering wheel, my dashboard, gear lever, etc. It’s called multi-tasking, people.
4. Just this past week, I heard an excellent tip to keep your car smelling nice. Leave a plastic refill bag of fabric softener under your car seat. Apparently, the smell permeates the whole car. Mmmm – lovely. Guess what’s on my shopping list?!

Tidy
5. I keep some plastic bags in my cubby-hole so that I can throw apple cores, bits of paper, etc. This bag leaves my car every weekend or once it’s full, whichever comes first.
6. I also have a special plastic bag for my umbrella. There is nothing worse than wet-car smell from umbrellas.

Organised
7. In the boot of my car, I keep a box so that my shopping bags don’t move around. Inside the box, I keep a couple of fabric shopping bags.
8. I have a notebook and pen in the actual car to make notes so I don’t forget things. Like if I’m driving and I remember something I have to do, I quickly make a note of it (at the traffic light).
9. When you fill up with petrol, note down the number of L and then you can work out when you next should fill up. Now, if suddenly you don’t get the same consumption, then you should get your car checked out at the next service.
10. My latest thing is keeping a magazine in the car. When I’m kept waiting somewhere, I can use the time constructively to catch up on my reading.


These are all things that work for me. For more super-duper car tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

July 2006 - organising challenges

Week 1 – Organise your shower/s.
Go through your shower caddy and throw away empty bottles of shampoo, shower gel, bits of soap, etc. Look at each item and ask yourself if it needs to be there. Make a commitment this week to use up the bits of shampoo and conditioner.

Do you have to put some Handy Andy and a scouring sponge in the shower? It takes just 2 minutes to clean a wall every morning and by the end of the week, you’ve done the whole thing. Might as well do something useful while you’re in there!

Week 2 – Organise the inside of your fridge.
Label the shelves of your fridge. I did mine about 3 weeks ago after reading about the idea on one of my favourite blogs. I thought I’d see how well or badly it went before telling you guys about it. And... it is working great.

I did mine on blue post-it notes (medium size cut in half length-wise) so that if I wanted to change things, it would be easy.

I have labels for bread, milk, cheese, prepared vegetables, food to be eaten (this is the best one - lots of stuff used to grow mould in the fridge because we didn’t know what there was or what had to be eaten. Now it is sooo easy and I have not thrown food out for weeks), etc.

It is easy to pack things away in their proper place and you can immediately see if you need to replenish any foodstuffs.

Try it - you’ll be hooked.

Week 3 – Declutter your make-up and toiletries.
Let's start with the toiletries first. Set your timer for 5 minutes and go through everything in your bathroom. Gather all the stuff you don't enjoy using or that you only have little bits left. Maybe you were given some as gifts and you don't enjoy the fragrances. Take them to a shelter for homeless people or an orphanage. [I went to a Shape workshop recently and they asked all the ladies to each bring a toiletry item for someone less privileged. I think this is a wonderful idea and might just use this for my future workshops. It's R10 - R15 for us and means SO much to someone who needs it.]

Set your timer again and now go through your spare toiletries in your bathroom cabinets, or those from hotels, or in your suitcase (if you keep a travel bag packed like I do).

If you have lots of foam bath and don't have the time for long baths, then use it as shower gel or liquid hand soap. Old shampoo can also be used as liquid hand soap.

Now, onto the make-up. You gals know the drill - any eye make-up, especially mascara, older than 6 months and definitely older than a year should be thrown out. Also toss all old lipsticks and really anything that you don't love, that doesn't look good on you or has changed texture, shade, etc. Thick nail polish belongs in the trash.

Week 4 – Organise and clean your car.
Remove everything from your cubby hole, boot, side pockets, etc. and remove anything and everything that doesn't belong. Return items to their correct places and throw the rubbish away.

Now, give your car a good clean or take it to the car wash. Once clean, repack only those things that belong in your car. Make a point of doing a quick maintenance run every weekend when you're filling up with petrol.

In my car, I have my service manual, map book, sunglasses, CD case, notebook & pen, wet wipes and a few plastic bags. I also have my two canvas shopping bags in a box in my boot so my shopping doesn't tumble around. It is a good idea to keep a couple of plastic bags in your cubby hole for anything you need to throw away. Whenever I drive back from the gym, I always have a fruit (usually apples, my favourite) on the way back home and I throw the core or peels in a little plastic bag. At the end of the week, out it goes.

People often say how clean my car is and that it still smells new - that's because I don't allow eating (except for the fruit) or smoking in my car :)

P.S. I’m compiling these challenges into an e-book, which will be available at the end of the year.