Stuff plastic bags inside a paper towel roll to keep them handy in the car

Simple brilliance. From Laura:

I keep a small cardboard box in my minivan to corral essential cleanup items (antibacterial wipes, a roll of paper towels and some diapers and wipes for the little ones). What I found really useful is to stuff the paper towel roll with plastic shopping bags. This serves two purposes: keeps plastic bags handy for bagging up dirty diapers, lunch trash, wet things etc, and keeps the paper towel roll from getting crushed flat.

Why didn't I think of that?

Related: Keeping the minivan relatively organized

Comments

[hippielunatic]

We stuff the plastic bags into an old diaper wipe container. It holds a lot of them and will dispense them easily.

[Julie Qidwai]

I drive a minivan, and it features approximately 20 different little compartments, most of which we don't use. I stuff our plastic bags into one of the ones towards the back. Our van (Toyota Sienna) also has a little hook down by where the front passenger would put his/her knees, and I think that this is actually meant to be a garbage bag hook. That's what I use it for. Sometimes I have to move it if I have a front-seat passenger, but usually it's just me and the kid, so it's great to have a garbage bag there when I need it.

[Andrea]

I love tips that serve two purposes. :)

[Parent Hacks Editor]

Julie: I'm wondering if that hook is for a purse?

[Julie Qidwai]

Editor: That would be a good purpose for it, too, but I think it's not wide enough to hold most purse straps. It's only about half an inch to an inch in length--the part of it, that is, that holds something.

[Paula]

I use an empty cardboard tissue box for holding all those bags in my cars, at my desk at work, etc.

[South Florida Bus Dealer]

Some great ideas! I love how having kids makes us inventors!!LOL! I stick mine in the backs of the seats but I might try the paper towel roll!