Don’t endure another germy, cranky trip without packing these 10 winter vehicle essentials in your car.
Travelling with kids in the car can already be stressful enough, but once cold weather comes around, it’s like a magic switch goes off in the backseat. They won’t keep their coats on, your floor meets new friends named Snow and Mud, and then…
Oh. My. Snot bubbles, make it stop, Lela! Winter vehicle essentials can’t prevent all of that from happening, but it can give you maximum control during the most unpredictable season. Here are the main supplies you should keep stocked in your car all the time during cold weather.
Winter Vehicle Essentials For Moms
1. Tissues
Winter is cold and flu season, along with the regular runny nose due to cold weather. Keep your seats snot free (sorry, not sorry) by making sure tissues are within reach of every seat in the car. This brand is great because they come in cup holder sized canisters. Don’t forget an auto trash can so they don’t just throw the tissue wads in the floor.
2. Hand Sanitizer
If we learned anything at all from the recent pandemic, it’s that germs are ev-er-y-where. In cold weather, germs can hang around longer. That makes it easier for us to pick them up at the grocery store and gas station. Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your car door so you can pass it around the car after you’ve been in a public place. This handy sanitizer holder attaches to your car door pockets so the bottle is always within reach.
3. Activity Books & Toys Without Batteries
Cold weather means dangerous road conditions, which results in more vehicle accidents. What should have been a 30 minute trip to Grandma’s house can easily turn into an hour-long wait in standstill traffic if a wreck shuts the road down. Nothing is worse than being stuck in traffic while kids are screaming, so keep some fun activities in the car so you can whip them out to keep them occupied. Make sure they don’t need batteries so they’ll always be ready to stand in as a babysitter.
4. Seat & Floorboard Covers
Wintertime isn’t just cold, it’s wet. There’s snow, ice, rain, and mud, and all that gets tracked into your car. Keep your seats and floorboards dry and clean by adding waterproof seat covers and floor mats. Bonus points if they’re machine washable. Then you can just toss them in the washer every few weeks for easy cleanup.
5. Emergency Kit
You never know when you’ll have a roadside emergency. Whether it’s wintertime or not, it’s a smart idea to keep an emergency kit in your vehicle at all times. You can build your own vehicle emergency kit using this list from Edmunds, or you can buy a pre-filled kit like this one on Amazon. I personally prefer to buy the premade kits so I can just drop the whole thing in my trunk and not waste time putting one together. I’m all about convenience. 🙂
5 More Auto Emergency Essentials
6. Ice Scraper and Gloves
7. Blanket
8. Flashlight
9. Cash and Coins
10. Extra Chargers & Keyfob Batteries
Read More: My Top Vehicle Organization Hacks
Organized-ish Moms Prepare For Emergencies
After you’ve got your car all set and ready for anything, don’t stop there! This post helps you build an emergency kit for your house so you’re prepared for natural disasters. And this Cricut DIY project helps notify firefighters that pets are inside your home. You can learn how to pack a first aid kit for people here, and for pets here. Protect your irreplaceable photos and videos by having them digitized. If you want to be ultra-organized, grab the Emergency Planner from the Organized-ish Binder Kit Collection to plan fire escapes, emergency routes, and keep up with all your important home and family info.
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