What I Learned About Focus, Habits, and Mental Clarity from Cleaning the Same Car Every Day for a Week (A simple experiment that turned out to be more about psychology than soap.)
A messy car can feel like a metaphor for life. Piled up coffee cups, crumpled receipts, gym shoes in the back seat — a symbol of the busy, sometimes chaotic brain of its owner. I’m no stranger to that chaos. As a writer with ADHD tendencies and a habit of pushing things to “tomorrow,” my sedan had turned into a small, movable landfill. One Tuesday morning, as I dug through fast‑food wrappers trying to find my work badge, I realized something had to give. The simple act of cleaning my car — just one small, daily commitment — felt like a manageable first step toward shaking off the fog.
This story is about much more than a clean dashboard. It’s about how small actions can snowball into mental clarity, about what science says happens in our brains when our environment is cluttered or calm, and about how turning a mundane chore into a mindful ritual taught me unexpected lessons about self‑discipline. If you’ve ever felt that your surroundings reflect your inner state, or if you’re simply curious about whether a tidy car could make your life feel less messy, read on.
I didn’t embark on this experiment because I love scrubbing cup holders. I did it because I was tired of feeling stuck. For months I had been promising myself to start that side project, to answer those emails, to cook healthier meals… and each night I’d fall asleep with a to‑do list just as long as the day before. One morning, as I listened to James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” on audiobook, a line hit me like a gentle smack:
“Outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits.” .
The results we get in life are the product of small things repeated over and over. Clear argues that improving by just one percent every day compounds into significant change over time . He also points out that disciplined people aren’t superhumans with iron willpower — they design environments where the good habit is the obvious and easy choice . That morning, with my coffee balanced precariously on a stack of receipts, I decided my “one percent” would be cleaning my car for seven consecutive days.
I hoped that by tackling this one area of clutter, I’d uncover insights about procrastination, focus and self‑respect. I also suspected that cleaning would feel more satisfying than I imagined. Ipsos/Mr. Clean’s “Cleaning Rush” study found that cleaning tasks can actually make people feel more positive, increasing feelings of pride and determination while decreasing nervousness and jitteriness . Participants reported a 9% increase in overall positive mood after cleaning and said the act gave them a sense of control and accomplishment . If scrubbing a kitchen sink could lift someone’s spirits, maybe vacuuming my floor mats could do the same.
The first day was the hardest because it meant confronting how bad things had gotten. My floorboards were an archaeological dig: gum wrappers from last month’s road trip, a broken umbrella, two mismatched socks, a collection of half‑used napkins that might have been useful at some point. I started by removing everything that didn’t belong in a car. Marie Kondo’s decluttering philosophy popped into my mind: keep only the items that “spark joy” and get rid of the rest. Nothing in my footwell sparked joy.
As I filled a trash bag, I noticed my mood shifting. There was something satisfying about seeing immediate results. I wiped down the dashboard with a damp microfiber cloth and vacuumed the seats. The process took 45 minutes, but it felt like a meditation. It forced me to focus on a single task, and for that short time my brain wasn’t thinking about emails or errands. By the time I finished, my car smelled faintly of citrus (thanks to an air freshener I’d forgotten about under the seat), and for the first time in months I enjoyed sitting in it.
It turns out there’s a reason why clearing clutter feels good. Researchers at Princeton University have shown that visual clutter competes for your attention, decreasing focus and increasing stress . Disorganisation and visual distractions — like trash in your field of view — tax cognitive resources and raise the stress hormone cortisol, leaving you feeling fatigued and overwhelmed . Conversely, people working in organised environments report more energy and restfulness .
Another piece of the puzzle comes from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Their article on clutter notes that constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources and can reduce working memory . The clutter in your environment triggers a low‑grade fight‑or‑flight response, raising cortisol levels and making you more prone to stress and anxiety . People living in cluttered homes even tend to be less physically healthy and more likely to be overweight . So the relief I felt while tossing out trash wasn’t just psychological — it was physiological.
On the second day I woke up eager to get into the car. That feeling surprised me. In my memory, cleaning had always been a chore. Now it felt like an easy win to start my day. I wiped down the cup holders and cleaned the mirrors. I even cleaned out the glove compartment (finding a $10 bill and a long‑expired parking ticket). As I drove to work, I noticed I was sitting up straighter. My commute felt less chaotic because there was less clutter to distract me.
The Ipsos/Mr. Clean study quantifies this mood shift nicely. Participants completed mood surveys before and after cleaning tasks. Positive emotions like pride, inspiration and determination increased by 8–12%, while negative feelings like nervousness, hostility and jitteriness decreased by 13–20% . The bar chart below visualizes these changes. When I looked at the numbers, I realized my experience mirrored the data: I felt proud of myself, inspired to tackle other chores, and decidedly less jittery.
The study also reported that 84% of participants felt very satisfied after cleaning . Two‑thirds of them ended up cleaning more than they planned, suggesting that the reward of cleaning can reinforce the behavior. As I cleaned my car each day, that same reinforcing loop kicked in. A clean environment made me feel better, which made me want to keep it clean.
By the third day, my car was staying cleaner with less effort. There were no empty bottles rolling around, and I found myself not wanting to eat or drink inside it because I didn’t want to ruin the work I’d done. This was a new sensation for me: pride in my surroundings. It reminded me of research from the RACGP that explains how clutter affects our brains. The article notes that constant visual reminders of clutter drain cognitive resources and reduce our ability to focus . Neuroscience studies using fMRI have found that clearing clutter improves the ability to process information and increases productivity .
Clutter doesn’t just sap attention; it can also change our behavior. The same RACGP piece cites studies showing that people in messy environments are more likely to indulge in unhealthy snacks and that individuals with extremely cluttered homes are 77% more likely to be overweight . A tidy environment seems to nudge us toward better choices. As I drove to work in my clean car, I found myself choosing healthier snacks and even decluttering my desk when I arrived. It was as if clearing one space made me want to clear others.
In Car Care (Australia)’s article on the psychological benefits of a clean car, they argue that your vehicle is a kind of status symbol that reflects how you see yourself . A messy car might signal (to you and others) that you’re disorganized or indifferent; a tidy one suggests self‑discipline and pride. The article notes that tidy spaces relieve stress, boost performance and help you feel more energetic , while clutter increases cortisol and fatigue . Reading this, I realized my messy car had been silently reinforcing a negative self‑image. Each time I stepped into it, I was surrounded by evidence of my procrastination. Cleaning it became a form of self‑respect.
The A&A Auto Detailing blog echoes this sentiment. They note that a clean car reduces stress and anxiety, boosts focus and clarity, improves mood and encourages self‑care . When your car is organized, you’re not distracted by rubbish or random objects on your seat . You feel more comfortable, more confident and safer while driving . I found this to be true. By Day 4, my commute had transformed from a messy scramble to a quiet, focused transition between home and work. I even arrived at my office earlier, which almost never happened before.
On the fifth day I decided to add another sensory dimension: scent. While researching the psychological impact of a clean car, I stumbled upon an article on HiRoad about how scents affect mood and driving. It explained that smell is the most sensitive sense and that the olfactory bulb (responsible for smell) is directly connected to brain regions that control emotion and memory. The article quotes RAC Foundation consultant psychologist Conrad King: “More than any other sense, the sense of smell circumvents the logical part of the brain”. In other words, scents can trigger emotional responses before we consciously think.
I hung a new pine‑scented air freshener from my rearview mirror and placed a small diffuser with a drop of lavender oil in the cup holder. Immediately, the car felt different. The pine scent reminded me of hiking trips and fresh starts; lavender has been shown in research to lower blood pressure and heart rate. As I inhaled, I felt calmer. When I took a deep breath at a red light, I noticed my shoulders drop. Scent, as trivial as it sounds, added another layer to the mental benefits of a clean car. It made my vehicle feel like a sanctuary rather than just a mode of transport.
By Day 6, cleaning my car didn’t feel like a “task” anymore. It had become a ritual, a way to transition between roles in my day. Before leaving the house, I’d take a minute to remove any new clutter and wipe down surfaces. This habit spilled over into other areas. I started making my bed every morning, tidying the kitchen after dinner and even unsubscribing from email newsletters I never read. The connection became clear: when one part of your environment becomes orderly, you naturally want to bring order to others.
Soapy Joe’s Car Wash writes about how a clean car can enhance your mood and driving performance. Their article explains that a clutter‑free vehicle promotes calmness, reduces stress and helps you concentrate on the road . It also argues that a tidy car reflects responsibility and self‑discipline . Keeping your car clean, they suggest, can instill a feeling of control and pride . I couldn’t agree more. Each time I sat in my cleaned and scented sedan, I felt like the type of person who takes care of things. That feeling carried into my work, my relationships and even how I spoke to myself.
Interestingly, this sense of control extends beyond mood. A controlled environment can affect driving behavior. While researching, I found a study in the journal Sensors that examined how a driver’s mental state and the condition of the passenger compartment influence driving performance. The study concluded that higher stress and tiredness levels significantly impact driving behavior, increasing perceived risk and leading to inappropriate actions on the road . Although this study measured stress more broadly, it supports the idea that a calm, orderly environment inside the car may contribute to safer driving.
By the seventh day I noticed something unexpected: I was looking forward to my daily cleaning ritual. That’s when I realized this experiment had changed my relationship with discipline. James Clear writes that successful habits are built by making them obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying . Cleaning my car fit this formula. It was obvious (I couldn’t ignore the mess once I saw it), attractive (the immediate reward of a tidy space), easy (it took only a few minutes each day), and satisfying (I felt proud afterward). Clear also reminds us not to obsess over perfection: it’s not the first mistake that ruins us, but the spiral of repeated mistakes . There were days when I left a coffee cup in the cupholder, but I learned to forgive myself and remove it the next morning rather than letting it snowball.
Marie Kondo’s philosophy also resonated more deeply by the end of the week. Her suggestion to keep only items that “spark joy” is as much about mindset as it is about tidiness. By consciously choosing what stayed in my car, I was curating an environment that supported how I wanted to feel: focused, calm and proud. When I dropped my kids off at school, they commented on how nice the car smelled. My spouse noticed that I seemed less frazzled when I got home from work. These small external validations reinforced the internal shift.
Cleaning my car every day for a week might sound trivial, but the experience illuminated larger themes about human behavior and wellbeing. Here are the key lessons I took away:
Numerous studies show that our surroundings influence our cognition, emotions and behaviors . Visual clutter drains our cognitive resources and leads to higher cortisol, anxiety and even physical health issues . A tidy environment, whether it’s your car or your kitchen, frees up mental energy for more important tasks. When you take control of your surroundings, you signal to your brain that you’re in control of your life.
The week taught me the power of incremental progress. On Day 1, cleaning my car felt like a mountain. By Day 3, it was a five‑minute task. Each small win built confidence, which spilled into other areas. Atomic Habits calls this the compounding effect: tiny changes accumulate into significant results . If cleaning your car feels too small, remember that it isn’t about the car — it’s about proving to yourself that you can show up consistently.
I experienced the cleaning “rush” documented by Ipsos. Their study found that cleaning increases positive emotions and decreases negative ones . Participants reported feeling proud, inspired and determined while also less nervous or jittery. It’s not just a chore; it’s a quick way to elevate your mood. Knowing this, I’ve started using short cleaning sessions whenever I feel stuck or anxious.
The research on clutter extends beyond attention. People in messy environments are more likely to overeat and make unhealthy choices , and those with cluttered homes are more likely to be overweight . Clutter can even interfere with our relationships by making it harder to read emotional cues . Cleaning my car reminded me that clearing physical space can clear mental and emotional space too.
Taking time to care for my car felt indulgent at first, but it soon became a form of self‑care. A&A Auto Detailing frames car cleaning as a way to reduce stress, improve mood and encourage self‑care . When I invested in my environment, I was investing in my mental health. This reframing helped me stop seeing cleaning as a chore and start seeing it as an act of kindness toward myself.
Adding a pleasant scent to my car boosted the experience. The HiRoad article reminded me that smell bypasses the logical brain and connects directly to emotion. Fragrances can influence blood pressure, muscle tension and mood. By choosing scents that evoke calm and clarity, you can enhance the psychological benefits of a clean space.
When you clean with intention, focusing on each motion and sensation, the activity becomes a form of mindfulness. It pulls you into the present moment and gives your brain a break from racing thoughts. The chaos of my emails and deadlines faded into the background while I wiped down my dashboard. In a world of constant distraction, even a few minutes of mindful cleaning can be restorative.
James Clear teaches that we should design environments where good habits are easy and bad habits are difficult . By removing trash from my car and keeping a microfiber cloth in the glove box, I made cleaning effortless. I also stopped eating in the car to prevent new messes. The changes were small, but they altered my daily experience. Ask yourself: how can you tweak your surroundings to make good habits easier?
No habit will be perfect. Clear writes that it’s not the first mistake that ruins you — it’s the spiral of repeated mistakes . On Day 5, I accidentally left a sticky candy wrapper on the floor. Instead of berating myself, I simply threw it away the next morning. Discipline involves self‑compassion; you acknowledge slip‑ups and return to your routine.
Finally, embracing Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” philosophy taught me to let go of things that no longer serve me. A clean car isn’t about sterile perfection; it’s about surrounding yourself with items that support how you want to live. When I removed the clutter, my car felt more like a personal sanctuary. That feeling spilled into my home and office.
At the end of the week, my car was sparkling, but the most profound changes were internal. I felt calmer when driving, more focused at work, and prouder of my ability to follow through on a commitment. The science supports these feelings: clean environments reduce stress and increase positive emotions , while clutter raises cortisol and drains cognitive resources .
Making my car a microcosm of order reminded me that small habits have the power to transform us. Clearing a cupholder can be as much an act of self‑respect as finishing a big project. If you’re tempted to try your own experiment, pick a small area in your life — your car, your desk, even your email inbox — and commit to keeping it tidy for a week. Pay attention to how it affects your mood, your productivity and your self‑perception. You might find, as I did, that in cleaning up physical clutter, you clear space for clarity, confidence and joy.
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Yes — not just visually, but mentally. Studies from Princeton and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners show that cluttered spaces drain focus and raise stress levels. A daily clean becomes less about perfection and more about maintaining a small sense of control and calm.
Most days took under 10 minutes. Quick touch-ups like tossing trash, wiping surfaces, or a fast vacuum can make your commute noticeably calmer without feeling like a chore.
That’s fine. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s consistency. Even missing a day helps you notice how much better your car (and your head) feel when it’s tidy. You’ll naturally want to get back to it.
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