Organizers Help Box Up that Clutter In Your Car

There’s a fine line between storing useful items in the car and driving a junk drawer on wheels. Vehicle organizers provide an alternative to storing change in a cup holder, work files on the passenger seat or the cell phone on your lap.

“The average driver spends more non-sleeping time the car than in any room in the house,” said David McClees, president of the Talus Corp, a Maine-based manufacturer of car organizers. “That’s translated into people wanting to use their cabin space more efficiently.”

There’s the right tool for every job, and vehicle organization is no different. There are products for storing electronics, important documents, cargo and whatever it is the kids leave behind after grinding cracker crumbs into the upholstery.

McClees breaks down vehicle organization into the following categories and offers suggestions to educate consumers on their options:

• Driver organization: These products are the alternative to just throwing everything on the passenger seat. Store cell phones, makeup, documents, textbooks and even your lunch. Some organizers drape over the passenger seat, others are pockets with multiple compartments. McClees stresses safety and suggests shoppers avoid driver organizers requiring the motorist to use both hands to retrieve items.
• A place to call my phone: Part of the family of driver organizer products include stands and chargers. This helps keep drivers connected as they use the speakerphone or wait for turn-by-turn directions.
• Cargo: We all know we should have an emergency kit, but where can you stash that stuff so it’s accessible but still out of the way? Cargo storage is for the trunk, the bed of a pickup, hatchback or the back of an SUV.
• Backseat: These organizers typically store kids’ items like books, toys and the like, though they are also useful to carpoolers who don’t want to hold everything on their lap during the commute. Like the driver organizers, these come in versions that drape over the front seats. There are also storage boxes for toys and pockets for electronic devices.
• Waste disposal: Stop gum wrappers, receipts and who knows what else from disappearing into that void beneath the seats. Look for a leak-proof product for discarded soda cans, coffee cups and juice boxes.
• A place for everything: Maintaining order is the aesthetic reason to employ some vehicle organizers, but safety is also a major factor buyers should consider. Items could become airborne during a collision or wind up beneath one of the pedals while you’re driving.