Transform Your Simple, Basic Car Into Your Dream Car With These 16 Must-Haves

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Raise your hand if you live out of your car!

Raise your hand if you live out of your car and it’s a whole entire hot mess (keep your hand up, sis)!

I’ve been there (you’ll learn more in a bit lol) and it can be really easy to leave trash in your car, have clothes all over the place, and dirt in more places than you can count… But when are you going to start taking pride in your car?

I don’t know about you guys but after working so hard to upgrade from my lowriding hooptie to my brand-new SUV, I wanted to keep my car looking and smelling new! Unfortunately, that’s better said than done because it looks like a tornado ran through it a couple of times…

Give yourself an advantage by getting some organizational tools to keep everything in its place and make your car safer, more functional, and of course, more stylish. Even if it’s not a new car, the inside doesn’t have to look its age!

Transform your basic car into a woman cave (on wheels) that you can be proud of with these 16 incredible must-haves!

Halo Bolt

The Halo Bolt sounds cool, right? Well, it is! The Halo Bolt is not only a portable charger for your phone AND your laptop, but it can also be used to jumpstart your car!! 

It also automatically shuts off and prevents you from shocking yourself so you can feel safe handling those spark plugs yourself, Boss Lady! Keep this baby in your car to stay charged up at all times (literally lol).

Water

Mike always yells at me for this one (mostly because of the empty bottles I leave everywhere I go like breadcrumbs lol) but my mom always did this so it kind of stuck. 

Keep water in your car! You never know when you’re going to be thirsty as hell or if you’ll become stranded on the road somewhere and have no water sources nearby (best to be prepared than to be s*** out of luck, sis!).

Dog seat cover*

If you have a big pupper like me, you need to have a dog seat cover in your inventory! 

This dog seat cover is so easy to install in your car and it fits basically any car. I bought 2, one for Mike’s car (Kia Sportage) and one for myself (Toyota Rav4) and both fit perfectly! All I had to do was hook the straps onto the back of each headrest and tuck some weighted handles into the seat to stabilize it. 

It doesn’t move around AT ALL and it’s waterproof so even when our girl Roxxy is wet, our actual car seats stay dry and the water evaporates from the cover. It’s so much better than laying down blankets or readjusting sheets to make sure our seats don’t get completely destroyed.

USB Diffuser

I have 3 diffusers throughout my house and the fact that I can have one in my car is a win for me! USB diffusers last longer than those flimsy cardboard air fresheners and are safer for the environment than those name brand plug-ins. 

You can switch up your scents and keep your car smelling fresh for longer. Just fill it up with your essential oils (and water, usually), plug into the USB port, and you’re good to go! You can also take it with you into the office when you leave your car to keep those relaxing vibes. Here’s some of my favorite diffuser blends you can try out!

Cup Holder Trash Can

Does anyone else accumulate trash in their car like they’re the neighborhood garbage man? I don’t even know where it all comes from (mostly receipts, napkins…empty water bottles haha).

Eliminate your trash (or at least disguise it) by having a cupholder trash can. Just put it in a cupholder nearby that you don’t primarily use and voilà. Trash be gone!

Side note: I like this style better than the huge trash can bag you can hang off your console because I like space and don’t mind filling up my empty cupholders…to each their own (I’ll link the other trash can below as well so you can decide for yourself!)!

Emergency Roadside Kit*

When I got my first car, my mom made sure I had an emergency roadside kit as I would be making 2-hour trips back and forth to college (RIP Chardonnay aka my 2002 Toyota Corolla). To my surprise, it has actually helped me a couple of times and I still use the one my mom bought me (snow in upstate NY is a whole other animal)!

This little one-stop shop for supplies comes equipped with more jumper cables, a flashlight if you’re stranded in the dark, batteries, a poncho for if the weather is a little less-than-ideal, bandages, a screwdriver (who know what you may need it for), AND MORE!! I could list everything but I’ll just tell you that it hosts a total of 42 different tools and essentials to help you survive…at least until AAA comes (let’s be real haha).

Purse hooks

Purse hooks are perfect when you’re not the only person in the car as I for sure, put my purse in the passenger seat when I’m alone. It’s easy to install as there’s basically no installation: slide it on the iron poles of the headrest and then hang your purse. 

These are also stainless steel so they’re more solid and stable than the plastic purse hooks, therefore it’s basically a lifetime guarantee (more or less). And don’t limit yourself to just hanging purse in here, nooo. Hang your groceries, diaper bags, and anything else with handles while you’re at it! It’s sturdy enough!

Car wipes

Invest in car wipes to keep your interior looking sparkling clean and to sanitize as needed (aka Miss Rona is still present and ready to go at any time). I know my car is not the only one that builds up with dust and fingerprints. It makes my OCD meter go crazy and I have to wipe it down (mostly dusting with my hands if that’s all I got lol).

These are lint-free and don’t leave a greasy film over your car (I absolutely hate that greasy look)! There’s also leather wipes you can buy that cleans and shines the leather parts of your car, so if you have leather seats, make cleaning simple and get you some!

Blankets

I know it seems like I’m preparing for the worst here, but I grew up where it gets super cold and you never want to worry about freezing to death when your car either breaks down or starts acting up, in general.

This travel blanket is essential because it’s fleece and it’s HEATED! Cozy up and stay warm for the rest of your travels!

Cupholder Coasters

Cupholder coasters keep your cupholders clean and sanitary because all you have to do is pop the coasters out to clean them!

These cupholder coasters are so cute and come in a pack of 6 with different design styles so you can pick whichever matches the theme of your car (or switch ’em out and create new ones)! Your car can be just as stylish and speak to who you are just like the décor in your house so…be creative!

Cupholder Hero Car Accessories 

If you want something a bit sturdier or don’t care too much about style, this car accessory package not only comes with rubber, removable coasters, but it also has 15 other accessory pieces to make sure your car is dirt and mess-free! It’s a clean-cut design, very effective, and you can find car accessories for virtually any car (click this link to type in your make and model for accessories that will specifically fit your car!).

This one that I have for my car includes liners for those pockets on your door, your console, and any other random crevice in your car. These also don’t change shape so you can have some peace of mind knowing you don’t have to replace them anytime soon (unless you get a new car).

Seatbelt cutter/ window break

A seatbelt cutter/window break is essential if your seatbelt ever locks after an accident or if you find yourself needing to break the window in the future. It’s a 2-in-1 special so best to keep it handy at all times.

Console Coin Holder

Take all of those coins sitting in your cupholder and nicely place them in this coin holder. There are designated slots to easily organize your coins (and cut out the confusion of looking for the coins you need). Never have loose change floating around and when you need change, you know exactly where to find it!

Cupholder Food Tray

Girl…just know that your life will never be the same after this one.

I LOVE eating in the car (weird kink of mine) and it’s always a hassle trying to figure out where to put the sauces, the fries, the sandwich…and it just all ends up on my lap (not complaining, just saying lol). 

This tray comes in handy because it fits in your cupholder, you can adjust the height to your eating level, and it has a slot to put your phone so you can watch Netlfix while you eat!! You can also use the food tray itself to hold your phone and your keys but who are we kidding (I need my food and food only!).

Sidenote: It says not to use while driving but if you’re going to tell me it can swivel 360 degrees for my fries to spin directly into my field of view, I’m going to eat them (#SavageNotSorry).

Seat gap filler 

I have lost so many coins in that little gap between my seat and the console (I could be a millionaire with all the money my car has eaten). A seat gap filler is as simple as the name suggests and fills up that entire gap! Loose coins, lone fries, and other miscellaneous junk will fall into that black hole no more.

Handheld Car Vacuum

Never pay for vacuuming your car again (even if it’s just a couple of quarters at the gas station)! This vacuum is handheld, portable, and lightweight making it easy to just leave in your car and clean up crumbs or any other messes as soon as they fall.

It also has different head attachments (with a cute bag to keep everything together) so you can get all up in those little nooks and crannies that dirt seems to thrive in!

To me, all of these items will have you ready for either a 12+ hour road trip or an hour-long drive to the city. You will always feel safe and at ease knowing your car will be clean, organized, and looking as fabulous as you!

What is something you didn’t realize you needed until you read this post? Do you already have any of these items? (I’m pretty curious) Let me know in the comments!