Your glove box should be a streamlined safety hub, not a junk drawer on wheels. Clearing out the wrong items can make it easier to find what you actually need in an emergency and cut down on clutter that migrates from your home into your car. Use this list to target the “just-in-case” things that organizers already flag as toss-worthy and reclaim that small but important space.

1) Expired sunscreen and personal care samples
Expired sunscreen and personal care samples are some of the first things you should toss from your glove box. Organizing and cleaning experts consistently warn that old lotions, creams, and cosmetics lose effectiveness and can harbor bacteria, especially when they sit in warm, enclosed spaces. Advice on what to purge from your bathroom, including outdated products and half-used toiletries, applies just as strongly to the stash riding around in your car, since heat and time only speed up deterioration.
Keeping these items in your glove box also creates a false sense of preparedness. You might assume you have sun protection or hygiene supplies ready, only to discover they smell off, have separated, or no longer work when you finally reach for them. That gap between expectation and reality matters when you are relying on sunscreen at a kid’s soccer game or a road-trip rest stop. Clearing them out pushes you to store fresh products in a temperature-stable spot instead of letting them quietly expire above your front tires.
2) Old “just-in-case” kitchen gadgets
Old “just-in-case” kitchen gadgets that migrated from your house to your glove box deserve a fast exit. Professional organizers specifically call out Kitchen Gadgets as classic clutter, especially when they are kept only because you might need them someday. If a garlic press, bottle opener, or novelty tool has been rolling around in your car for months, it is not serving your driving needs, it is simply taking up space that should be reserved for essentials like registration papers and a flashlight.
Leaving these gadgets in your glove box also encourages a broader “junk drawer” mentality in your vehicle. Once you allow one unnecessary item to live there, it becomes easier to justify stuffing in more, from extra spatulas to random utensils. That trend can slow you down when you are trying to grab insurance documents after a fender bender or reach a tire gauge during a pressure check. Removing the gadgets helps reset the glove box as a functional compartment instead of a backup kitchen bin.
3) Stacks of outdated owner manuals
Stacks of outdated Owner Manuals are another category you should clear out immediately. Organizers who focus on “just-in-case” clutter specifically highlight Owner, Manuals as items people keep long after they stop being useful. If you have booklets for appliances you no longer own, or manuals for a previous car model like a 2010 Honda Civic that you sold years ago, they do nothing but bulk up the glove box and make it harder to find the current vehicle guide you actually need.
Modern cars also provide much of their reference information through in-dash menus or online PDFs, which means you rarely need a thick printed packet for routine questions. Holding on to every booklet “just in case” can slow you down when you are searching for the one that matters, especially in a stressful moment such as a warning light appearing on the dashboard. By recycling outdated manuals and keeping only the current, relevant guide, you make it easier to access accurate information quickly when something goes wrong on the road.
4) Random device cords and dead chargers
Random device cords and dead chargers are prime glove box clutter that organizers say you should finally toss. In guidance about “just-in-case” clutter, experts specifically call out device cords as items people keep even when they no longer match any current phone or tablet. If your glove box holds a tangle of 30-pin connectors from an old iPhone 4 or frayed micro-USB cables that no longer charge, they are not backup tools, they are electronic trash riding along on every trip.
Keeping these cords also has practical downsides when you actually need power. Digging through a nest of useless cables wastes time when your current phone is at 3 percent and you are trying to start navigation or call for help. It can also hide the one working charger you do own, making it feel like you have nothing that fits. Clearing out dead and obsolete cords lets you replace them with a single, high-quality cable that matches your current devices, improving both safety and sanity when you are on the road.
5) Unused “gift” items you never reach for
Unused “gift” items that ended up in your glove box because you did not want them at home should be next on your toss list. Organizing advice on “just-in-case” clutter specifically mentions Gifts You Don’t Use as things people keep out of guilt rather than need. When those gifts migrate to your car, they often become even more invisible, sitting untouched behind the latch while you tell yourself you might eventually find a use for them.
Leaving these items in place has a subtle cost. Every time you open the glove box and see a still-packaged keychain flashlight that barely works or a novelty pen set you never liked, you are reminded of unfinished decisions. That mental drag can make it harder to keep the rest of your car organized, because the space already feels compromised. Donating, regifting thoughtfully, or recycling what you can clears the way for items that genuinely support your driving life, such as a working tire pressure gauge or a compact first-aid kit.
6) “Bathroom” clutter that migrated to your car
“Bathroom” clutter that migrated to your car, like old hair accessories, stretched-out headbands, or nearly empty product bottles, should not stay in your glove box. Guidance on what to purge from a bathroom emphasizes getting rid of items that are worn out, expired, or no longer part of your routine, and the same logic applies once those items cross into your vehicle. If a broken comb or dried-up lip balm was not worth keeping by the sink, it does not suddenly become valuable just because it is riding along in your dashboard compartment.
Letting these leftovers accumulate in the glove box blurs the line between home storage and car storage, turning your vehicle into a rolling extension of an overstuffed vanity. That clutter can crowd out more critical items like emergency contact information or a small notepad for documenting accidents. By tossing the bathroom castoffs and resisting the urge to stash similar items in the car, you keep the glove box focused on driving-related needs instead of becoming a backup cosmetics drawer.
7) Seasonal clutter that should have gone before summer
Seasonal clutter that should have been cleared before summer, such as old winter accessories or leftover holiday trinkets, often ends up wedged in glove boxes long after the weather changes. Professional organizers who prepare homes for warmer months specifically recommend tossing items that no longer fit the season, and that advice extends naturally to your car. If you still have a broken ice scraper, a single glove without its pair, or outdated parking passes from last winter, they are simply taking up space you could use for warm-weather essentials.
Keeping these off-season remnants in your glove box also makes it harder to reset your car for current conditions. When summer arrives, you may want room for sunglasses, a compact fan, or extra hydration supplies, but the compartment is already clogged with cold-weather leftovers. Clearing out the winter clutter in line with items pro organizers throw away before summer helps your glove box stay responsive to the season instead of becoming a permanent archive of past drives.
8) Old game instructions and novelty cards
Old game instructions and novelty cards that have slipped into your glove box are another category to toss. Families often tuck small entertainment items into the car for kids, from trivia decks to printed rules for travel games, but over time those pieces get separated from the actual toys or become unreadable. When the cards are bent, missing, or no longer match any game you still own, they are not helping anyone pass the time, they are just paper clutter that makes it harder to see what else is stored there.
There is also a digital alternative that makes these leftovers even less necessary. Many drivers now rely on mobile apps for in-car entertainment, whether that is a quiz app on an iPhone 15 or streaming content through Android Auto. If your glove box still holds instructions for games you have replaced with digital versions, you are effectively storing duplicates you will never use. Recycling the paper and keeping only a small, current set of travel activities frees up space while still supporting long rides with kids or passengers.
9) Random “slap battle” notes and gaming clutter
Random “slap battle” notes and gaming clutter, like scribbled move lists or printed cheat sheets, should not live in your glove box. If you or your passengers play games such as Slap Battles, you might have jotted down “All Questions and Answers for the Repressed Memories Badge + Recall Glove” or similar reminders. Once those notes have served their purpose, leaving them in the car only adds to the pile of loose papers that slide around every time you open the compartment.
Keeping these scraps also distracts from the glove box’s primary role as a quick-access storage spot for driving essentials. When you are trying to find your insurance card after a minor collision, the last thing you need is a handful of outdated gaming strategies spilling into your lap. Tossing the notes once you have memorized or digitized the information keeps your car paperwork streamlined and reinforces the idea that the glove box is for safety and documentation, not for archiving every hobby-related reminder.
10) Generic “just-in-case” items you never actually use
Generic “just-in-case” items you never actually use are the final category you should clear from your glove box. Organizers who focus on clutter repeatedly warn about Just, Case, Items Organizers Say You Should Finally Toss Today, a group that includes anything you keep only because you might need it someday. In a car, that might look like a third spare pair of sunglasses with scratched lenses, a stack of outdated loyalty cards, or a cheap flashlight that has not worked since its original batteries died.
Holding on to these items has a real impact on how effectively you can respond in urgent moments. When the glove box is packed with low-value “maybe” objects, it takes longer to locate the few things that truly matter, such as your registration, emergency contact list, or a working tool. By ruthlessly removing the generic just-in-case clutter and keeping only items with a clear, recent track record of use, you turn the glove box from a catchall into a reliable command center every time you drive.
Supporting sources: The 14 Things in Your Bathroom You Should Get Rid of Immediately.
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