Can you keep your car clean when you have a growing family? Yes, you can, but you need some of the best car gadgets to help you keep things neat and orderly.

Whether the problem is with organization or messes in the car, the vehicle you drive with your kids right now isn’t the one that you’ll drive once they get older. It’s important to keep your car clean to protect its resale value and show some pride in what you drive. Here are some of the best items to make sure you can fight the mess.

Take a Portable Vacuum Cleaner on the Road

There are several different models of portable vacuum cleaners that can help keep the mess under control while you’re out on the road. If you keep one in the trunk, it’s not hard to clean up some cereal that’s spilled or pick up a little dirt that might be tracked into the car. Find one that has narrow tools to get down into the crevices and pick up those rogue French fries that are nearly impossible to find.

A Pack of Shop Towels is a Must When You Want a Clean Car

This item might not be one of the best car gadgets because shop towels aren’t a gadget at all, but you want to keep some of these towels in your car to help keep your car clean. When you’ve got a spill that requires something absorbent, you’ll be glad to have these shop towels in your car to make sure you can clean up the messes while out on the road. You won’t have to carry the mess with you because you can throw away the shop towels after using them.

A Good Stain Cleaner Can Help You With Stains

If you’re brave enough to give your child some colored juice and it gets spilled, you’ve got a problem. You might have a stain that needs to be cleaned up, and a good stain remover will help you get the job done. Keep a can in your trunk so that you’re ready to clean up the mess when it happens. Another good idea to fight stains is to Scotch Guard your fabric upholstery.

Protect Your Leather with Some Wipes

Part of keeping your car clean is using products that help rejuvenate and protect your upholstery. If you have leather seats, you’ll be glad to have some leather conditioning and cleaning wipes in your car. This is one of those items you can break out and use while waiting for your kids. You might not think of wipes as one of the best car gadgets, but you will think of them as a great tool that assists you in maintaining a great-looking car.

Make the Air Smell Fresher

A pleasant air freshener can make a huge difference in the smell and feel of your car. Even if your car doesn’t smell bad, you can enjoy the freshness of a great smell by using an air freshener. Whether you hang one from the rearview mirror or place it on the air vents, you’ll experience a great smell. Keep a can of air sanitizer in the car for those times when someone allows a stink to escape; it will get rid of the smell quickly.

Odor Elimination is a Must for Your Car to be Clean

If you’ve got kids, you’ve got odors. It really is that simple. As kids get older, the foul smells get stronger, especially if they are actively involved in sports or other physical activities. Keep an odor elimination pack in your car to get rid of some of those foul smells. This is one of the best car gadgets to make your car smell great by removing the bad smells you don’t want in the air.

A Trash Can in Your Car is More Beneficial Than You Might Expect

Your car is a place where you snack, drink and open small packages. This means there’s almost always some garbage that should be thrown away. If you have a trash can with a grocery bag liner, you’ll have a place to put all of this trash. Too many people toss their trash into the floorboard and forget about it until they have a passenger in that seat. Keep your car cleaner with a trash can made for your vehicle.

Make Use of the Gap in Your Seat

There’s a gap between the seat and your center console. This space can be useful and not where you lose food and small items. One of the best car gadgets to help you keep small items in place and stay organized is a seat gap filler. This item creates a little pocket where your cell phone, wallet, or other small items can reside while you drive. You’ll love adding this small space and knowing you’ve got a great little pocket for your stuff.

Add Pockets to the Back of the Seat

Kids require a lot of stuff wherever they go. If your car doesn’t have a seatback pocket on the front seat, you can buy an organizer that adds a few pockets to offer an easy place to keep some stuff. This is a great place for some towels, drinks, or other items. If your child can reach the pockets, let them fill them with the toys and stuff they want to entertain themselves during your drive.

A Tote-Style Car Organizer Can be a Great Item

Do your groceries move from one side to the other during your drive home? It’s not your driving; it’s the fact that you don’t have them secured for the ride. A few tote-style car organizers can solve this problem. These fabric boxes collapse when not in use and stand up well during the ride home. Some have straps to attach to the sides of your trunk to keep your stuff from sliding around. One of these totes can be one of the best car gadgets for you to use every day.

What will you put in your car to help you keep it clean? These are just a few of the best car gadgets that will help you avoid the mess and keep your car organized and free of the mess that comes with daily driving.