As much as you love your pets, you also love a clean, organized vehicle. Having the right tools takes a ton of the work out of keeping you, your car, and your pets happy. Pets can make a clean car dirty in no time, and getting fur out of car carpets requires some kind of superpower.
It can also be difficult to figure out how to organize the items you want to bring for your pet in the car. You probably bring leashes, water, and maybe even food for your pet when you take them on driving adventures. This list of car organizing accessories will help you find easy ways to keep your car clean and organized without canceling your pet-friendly road trip.
Keep Pet Hair Off Your Car Carpet
This is one of the big issues with bringing your pet on car rides. Pet hair is notoriously difficult to remove from your car carpet, so if you can avoid letting it touch the carpet in the first place, all the better.
Cargo covers, seat covers, and floor mats for pets.
There are a few different types of covers you can get for your vehicle to help reduce the amount of pet hair that sticks to your car interior:
- cargo covers
- seat covers
- and floor mats.
All of these items are going to give you options for style and material, ideally being easier to clean than the stock covers that might come with your vehicle.
Cargo covers
Cargo covers go in the back of your car, in the trunk/cargo area. You can find cargo covers that are a hard rubber material, which will be waterproof and can be removed and hosed off if they get dirty. You can also find cargo covers that are made of a softer, yet sturdy, fabric, such as oxford fabric. You can also find pet cargo covers that are waterproof if you’re concerned about that at all.
Cargo covers also come in different styles. Decide what kind of coverage you want:
- Cargo covers that only cover the floor of the cargo area
- Cargo covers that cover some siding or a lot of siding
- Cargo covers that cover the back of the back seats
Here are some examples of cargo covers to help keep your car clean:
In-between coverage w/ storage
Seat Covers
Seat covers are pretty self-explanatory, but there are different types of seat covers.
- One-size fits most (or several types of car models and makes)
- Made-to-fit (a specific type of vehicle)
- Various fabrics/leather
- Full covers
- Partial covers
- Sling covers
There are seat covers for the back of the seat, the entire seat, or the front of the seat. There are also seat slings, that cover the space of your backseat completely and offer your pet a place to sit. For keeping dog hair off of the main surfaces of your car and making it easier to clean it, you’ll likely want to opt for a full-coverage seat cover.
Here are some examples of seat covers you might consider:
Full-coverage custom seat covers
Full-coverage general fit covers
Floor mats
Most cars come with floor mats, but they tend to be carpet. Carpet floor mats are harder to clean in general, but especially with pet hair as an issue. You can of course try to get your car detailed to get rid of pet hair in your car carpets, but even detailers will tell you that they may not be able to get it all out.
To help prevent the need to remove pet hair from your floor mats, look at getting mats that:
a) Cover more of your car floor.
b) Are made of a material that is easier to clean.
Your stock floor mats, even if they aren’t carpet, probably don’t cover any of the sidewall areas of your vehicle (which can also be covered in carpet material) or don’t cover much of other areas, such as under the seats. Leaving these areas exposed means you’re eventually going to see a buildup of debris, including pet hair, getting stuck in these carpeted areas.
You can purchase after-market car floor mats that are made of materials like rubber, leather (or faux leather), and tougher fabrics. These are all going to be easier to free of pet hair than carpet. You can also find mats that are not only easier to clean but are custom made for your vehicle to cover more of your car’s surfaces.
Examples of floor mats that make it easier to keep your car clean:
Car floor liners customized to your vehicle dimensions
Add your car make and model at the top of the page here to get custom suggestions
Full coverage back and front leather floor covers
Smartliner floor liners – rubber w/ full backseat coverage and raised lip
When all else fails: car-detailing pet hair remover
This little car-friendly pet gadget makes it easier to clean pet hair off of your car’s carpets when it does occur. Because let’s be honest, even when you take all the other precautions against pet fur on this list, you’re still going to end up with hair somewhere.
The pet fur remover gathers up hairs that are embedded in your car’s carpet so that they can be removed in clumps. The edges are made of thick rubber “teeth” that don’t scratch your car’s surfaces while you use them to remove the hairs.
Car Accessories for Pets
Keeping you and your pet happy in the car isn’t just about keeping it clean, it’s also about keeping it functional. There are items you can get for your car that will help you make sure you and your pet have what you need, while still keeping your car space organized.
8 ideas for car-friendly pet accessories:
- Food bags for your pet food
- Storage for your pet food dishes
- Water bottles made for pets
- Portable water bowls and food bowls
- Holders for your pet water bottles that don’t interfere with your cup holders
- Pockets and car organizers for pet toys, leashes, and other items
- Car-friendly pet beds to help keep your pet comfy on long rides
- Pet crates and separators for your car
Obviously, there are times when you don’t need all these items for your outings with your pet, but it can be helpful to find a place for it, where it can hopefully stay in your car, organized and out of the way. If you create a system to organize your pet accessories in your car, you’ll be less likely to find you forgot something after leaving home.
Pet food bags for your car
These bags will help you make sure your pet has a snack on longer trips. Many of them also come with a way to store your pet’s food dishes as well. They’re relatively compact, and often include accessories such as collapsible pet food dishes.
Some things to look for in a travel pet food bag:
- LINED food storage – any compartments designed for food should be lined so that the moisture in the food doesn’t get absorbed by the fabric, and makes it easier to clean.
- Storage spaces for water bottles and food/water bowls
- Extra space for toys, leashes, etc.
- Handles to make it easy to carry the bag
- BONUS if it is capable of attaching to your luggage to make it extra easy to bring on overnight trips
Car-friendly pet water bottles & bowls
You can use a regular water bottle to bring water on the road for your pet. There’s certainly nothing wrong with going that route.
If you would like to try something a little more custom-made for your pet though, there are water bottles that have been designed to function more specifically for your pet’s needs. Obviously, if you bring a regular water bottle, you still need to find a way to allow your dog to drink the water, which usually means pouring it into a bowl. Consider getting collapsible pet bowls that are perfect for travel. These collapsible bowls include lids, which could be helpful in the car.
There are a bunch of different types of pet water bottles, and what you choose will depend on things like:
Where are you going?
Is the water bottle just to make sure your pet has water on a long drive? Or is it to take with you on hikes to keep your best bud hydrated?
How big is your pet?
If you have a small fry, you’re more likely to get away with a small water bottle. If you have a big guy, you’ll probably need a larger water bottle. Again, this partially depends on what you and your pet are doing out on your drive and whether you think they’re going to end up dehydrated or not. If you’re out hiking, even small dogs need plenty of water, so a bigger bottle might be a good idea.
Get a backup
It’s not a bad idea to get a couple of the same water bottle for your pet to keep in your car. That way you have an extra if you feel like you need it. You may want to get a larger water container, like a jug, that you can use to refill your pet water bottles. Just keep in mind that water can grow bacteria after it has been sitting for a while, so it’s a good idea to change out any water in bottles regularly.
Pet water bottle examples:
This 22oz pet water bottle comes with a lid that doubles as a bowl for your pet to drink from. It also has a leak-proof seal to make it safe for transporting in your car. It also will fit in most car drink holders if you want to store it there.
This pet water bottle is a larger 33oz size, making it a potentially better option for people with larger pets. It also comes with an actual water bowl attached to the base of the bottle, which bigger dogs may find easier to drink from. It’s also stainless steel and insulated to help keep the water cooler. All around, if you have a larger travel buddy, this is a good option.
This water bottle is similar to the first option as far as design goes. It has a leak-proof twist seal and a lid that double as a bowl. The difference between this water bottle and this first is that this one has a collapsible bowl, and is 18oz instead of 22oz. The collapsible lid folds back down onto the top of the water bottle, making it slightly more convenient, but it also won’t carry as much water.
Car organizers for Pet Supplies
There are a lot of very useful car organizers for all types of needs, but we’re focused on finding car organizers for pet supplies. Pet supplies you might be bringing along for a car ride are:
- Pet water bottles
- Food containers
- Leashes
- Harnesses
- Treats
- Treat bags
- Pet beds
- Pet toys
So, when looking for car organizers for pet supplies, keep in mind which pet items you need a storage area for in your car.
Car organizers for the cargo area
There are generally a couple of kinds of organizers you’ll find for the cargo area of your vehicle – the organizers that hang on the back of the seats, and the organizers that just sit on the cargo floor.
Examples of car organizers that hang on the back of the seat:
This cargo organizer straps around the car seat headrests and hangs over the back of the seats. There are a couple of large pouches on the upper part of the organizer, a couple of open pockets, and then a series of mesh pockets along the bottom.
This cargo organizer is a very similar design but made with faux leather material. It looks a little more upscale than the typical trunk organizers.
Finally, this hanging cargo organizer is a single row of pockets, versus the previous examples that have two rows. It also has several different types of pockets, including a zipper pocket, split covered pocket, and water bottle pocket.
Examples of cargo organizers that sit on the floor:
These trunk organizers sit on the floor of your vehicle’s trunk space. They offer space for lots of different items and are often collapsible for easy storage when you’re not using them.
Collapsible organizer
This organizer is foldable and expandable. It can be used at full-size, with 2 compartments, or folded down to a single compartment. It also comes with a removable lid, which can be handy to keep items in, and keep your pet out!
Collapsible organizer with cooler bag
Similar in many ways to the organizer above, this one is foldable and can be collapsed down to use as one compartment, two-compartment or full size. It’s slightly more pricey than the previous organizer, but it does offer a cool extra feature – a lidded cooler bag. So if you plan to use it for things like dog food, treats, or even groceries, this is a better version.
Single collapsible trunk organizer
This organizer is different than the previous two in that it’s just a single compartment, with a lid. It’s a good option if you just want a few storage boxes for various items in your car, and they can be completely flattened when you’re not using them.
Pet Crates and Separators
For safety and keeping your car a little cleaner, you might want to look into pet crates and separators. Separators generally sit behind the front or back row of seats to keep your pet from getting into areas of the car they shouldn’t be. They can also serve as a safety tool that helps to keep your pet from being thrown into the front in the case of an accident.
You may also want to look into pet seatbelts to help keep your pet safe in the car as well.
Pet crates for the car serve a similar purpose to the separators. They help keep your pet from getting into places and things in the car. If your dog is crate trained they might even be more comfortable having their crate to hang out in, rather than roaming in the car. Crates are also a safety tool, as your pet is much more contained in the case of an accident and can’t get thrown around (or out of) the car nearly as easily.
There are different types of crates and separators available. They’ll be made of different materials, aimed at different purposes. For instance, if you get a mesh separator, it’s not really going to be marketed as something that will keep you or your pet safer in a car accident. Metal separators, however, may be more capable of keeping your and your pet safer.
Examples of pet car separators:
This separator and this separator are versions of over-console front seat pet separators. They just stretch between the front seats, not covering much else, but they keep your pet from moving up into the front seat area. You can find different iterations of this type of pet separator with various features, such as a “window” area that allows your pet to see the front seat and road, but not move into the front seat with you.
This separator is basically a large net, and it better for keeping pets in the cargo area of your car, rather than the backseat area. There are lots of versions of this type of separator as well. Made of netting or fabric and attach to your car through tension, hooks, etc.
If you’re looking for something more substantial, maybe because you have a more persistent large dog, you can look at pet separators like this that are made of metal.
There are also separators that are a mix of metal framing and mesh. They’re a little sturdier than all-fabric separators and offer some safety because of that, but may not be the best if you’re looking for something that’s really about safety.
Things to look for in pet crates for the car:
- Materials – mesh, metal, plastic, etc.
- Safety vs. a hangout spot – any car crate is going to serve as an extra layer of safety for your pet, but if safety is your priority you’ll want to look for more substantial options.
- Does it anchor to the car at all? Some crates will have hooks or slips to help keep your pet crate in place.
- How easy is it to breakdown/remove from the car?
Examples of pet crates for the car:
Although any pet crate is going to help keep your pet safe in the car by keeping them from wandering and keeping them more contained during an accident, there are a lot of different types of pet crates for travel.
Comfortable with some safety features
This pet Jeep brand crate is made of mesh and fabric. It also has anchor clips to keep the crate in place, which is a great safety feature. Crate options like this will help keep your pet in place during car rides and help keep any dirt and fur contained to the crate, however, it’s obviously not the most robust crate available for safety. Still, crates like this are a great starting point.
Expandable and portable
For smaller pets, you might like the idea of a pet carrier that is expandable for longer rides in the car. This pet carrier does just that. The sides fold out to give your pet more room to lounge comfortably while traveling, and when you reach your destination it’s easy to fold up the sides and pick the carrier up.
The ultimate crash-tested car crate (with an escape hatch for safety)
If safety is your #1 priority when traveling with your pet check out crates that are actually crash-tested like this one. This version is no ordinary pet crate. It’s made to be adjustable to fit the back of your vehicle, so your car becomes the crate. They might look like something out of Jurassic Park, but your buddy is about as ready as they can be for the potential dangers of road travel.
You can get the double version (pictured above) or a smaller single version. Both are adjustable so you can set them up to fit your car, this single takes up about half of your cargo area, rather than the whole area.
Use this list!
Check out the items on this list and use them before your next outing with your precious pets! If you have the right car accessories it’s so much easier to work out a system for keeping your car clean and organized, even when it’s a pet-mobile. If you like any of the suggestions on this list please share it around with other pet parents and car-cleaners!