Next time your car is embarrassingly filthy, there are two things you shouldn’t do. First of all, don’t go to a car wash and two, don’t involve the online auto insurance company. Everything you need to clean your car can already be found in your house. No really! There are a number of hidden gems, cheap ones too, that you should utilize when it comes to maintaining your car. So take a look at the cheap, easy, and quick tricks we’ve gathered and your car will wind up cleaner than it’s ever been.
Wheels Up
Now it’s no secret that aluminum rims fall prey to road dirt, tar, and grease. Furthermore it’s a nightmare to clean all this gunk out. But that’s where Dawn detergent comes in, see it’s a degreaser primarily used in the kitchen and sometimes even to clean animals after an oil spill. Simply mix Dawn detergent with equal parts of water and clean the aluminum rims. Next sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge with a rough side and run the sponge around the rims numerous times. Rinse well.
Wheels Up
Foam Brushes For Your Vents
Something the online auto insurance won’t tell you, air vents need to be meticulous kept clean. If only for your well being, of course! And all you need in order to ensure you’re not breathing in tons of dust is a small foam brush. Take a look at the picture for all the instructions you’ll ever need.
Foam Brushes For Your Vents
Get The Toothbrush
So the same way your brush you teeth to keep ’em clean can also apply to car maintenance. It’s the bristles in the toothbrush that’ll dig deep and get rid of any dirt lurking around. Plus it wont’ create a gigantic mess.
Get The Toothbrush
Headlight Trick
Next time your headlights become far too cloudy, especially if you need to flash the beams whether on a cloudy or clear night, it’s important that you don’t take it to a body shop. Why? Well they’re most likely charge you around $1,000 on some new headlights. There’s a simpler, cheaper solution — toothpaste. Get some toothpaste, in particular whitening toothpaste, and just clean the headlights on your own. Apply the toothpaste on the headlight lens, scrub gently, rinse it off, and dry. Job done.
Headlight Trick
Farewell Bumper Sticker Blues
Bumper stickers are both a blessing and a curse all at the same time. However we all know the pain they become when we want to remove them from our cars. Fret not, that’s where WD-40 comes in. Simply spray onto the sticker, wait until it completely soaks into the sticker, and then peel.
Farewell Bumper Sticker Blues
Da Inside
Don’t just clean the outside and inside of your car, dig deeper in and clean out those air filters. Otherwise they’ll just clog up and it’ll dramatically affect the air circulation throughout your car.
Da Inside
Frozen Car? No Problem
Ahem, if you happen to live in an area where the temperature drops below zero and your car freezes over, we’ve got a solution. Mix three cups of grain alcohol and four cups of water together, then add two teaspoons of dish-washing detergent. Spray and scrap off, but be gentle and make sure the heat is blasting on the inside of your car (otherwise the spray will just freeze over more).
Frozen Car? No Problem
Q-Tip to The Rescue
Tough spots just became even easier to clean with the help of q-tips. Considering they’re tiny, cheap to buy, and come in boxes of giant packs, you’re so covered. As they have cotton ends, they can easily clean excess cleaning product left over or scrap off unwanted gunk. Use anywhere in the car like cup holders or even the steering wheel.
Q Tip To The Rescue
Glass Polish
Always, always keep a bottle of clear nail polish inside your car! Cause the reason why is astonishing. So yah know how something silly like a tiny pebble can cause a crack in your windshield? Yeah, it’s super annoying. Not only that but your online auto insurance will charge you an arm and a leg to fix it. But that’s where the nail polish steps in, simple apply some to the small chip and it won’t allow the crack to grow! This way you can take it to a garage to fix on the spot and it won’t cost a ton. It’s like magic.
Glass Polish
Magic Eraser
Have a Magic Eraser handy so that way you can easily scrub off those disgusting stains on leather or vinyl seats. All you need to do is to wet the Magic Eraser slight and gently scrub at the eye sore infesting the seat(s).
Magic Eraser
Vaseline Tip
Let this sink in, Vaseline is a total life saver when it comes to a car’s interior. When it comes to a vinyl or leather interior, dab some Vaseline onto a cloth and rub the cloth all over the car so that way you’ll prevent the leather from cracking. Moreover, you can rub this on the rubber door seals to prevent them from freezing over in winter time.
Vaseline Tip
My Hero
Listen, when you have a dog, whether it sheds a ton or very little, it’s all the same when it comes to cars. Their hair somehow gets EVERYWHERE no matter what you do. And no matter how many times you Hoover (vacuum), it doesn’t make a dent. However, all you need is a small spray bottle of water and a hand squeegee. Simply spray water on the seats, then squeegee the seats, and BOOM. All the hair is gone within seconds. Lifesaver.
My Hero
Drink Up
It’s common knowledge that Coca Cola has tons of acid in it, which is actually great for breaking rust down. So when you’ve got rust on the car, a metal bar, or a suspension bridge — Coca Cola is the answer. The cheap answer. Spray the Coca Cola where the rust is, wait, and then just wipe it off. Crazy, but it works.
Drink Up
Olive Oil Dash
Hmm, if you’ve ever tried to wash leather then you know it’s quite simply one of the hardest things you can do. Especially if you put the wrong thing on leather, you can destroy it. Instead take a little bit of olive oil, place on a cloth or towel, and then rub it in circles onto your seats. As it does last a while, don’t over use it. Oh, the only downside? You might crave Italian food a lot, but hey, you’ll have the nicest leather seats. Win-win?
Olive Oil Dash
Smell Yah Later
Getting rid of the stink that can build up in one’s car is a serious challenge. However, there is a solution, of course there is. Get that baking powder out and spread it all over the seats, then let it sit for a few hours, vacuum it all up, and your car won’t be stinky anymore. You’re welcome.
Smell Yah Later
Hair Conditioner
Did you think that hair conditioner was just for your hair? NOPE. Make sure to purchase hair conditioner with lanolin though. First put the conditioner on a cloth or towel and then buff the car in circular motions until glistening.
Hair Conditioner
Cupcake Anyone?
Cupholders can get dirty pretty quick and they’re also a pain to keep clean. Right? Right. Well there is an easy way to keep them clean, cupcake molds. Especially silicon ones. Just place them inside the cup holder and when it is time to clean up, simply take out the icky cupcake holder and insert a new one.
Cupcake Anyone
Like A Glove
So you go to clean the dust out of all the nooks and crannies in your car? Great! Until all that dust just spreads all over the rest of the car and you’re left in a cloud of “smoke”. In order to avoid this nuisance, use a small brush as you are dust together with the vacuum cleaner’s hand held attachment and place this next to the brush. That way, as you dust, the icky grime will just get sucked up by the vacuum.
Like A Glove
Love Bug
The front of your car can look a battlefield after a war that’s been raging for years, what with all the tiny, flying critters. And it’s not so easy to rid of those buggers. Until now. Get some baby oil and a dryer sheet, then rub the sheet gently on your car. End result? A clean car that has no bugs on it, duh. If you don’t want to use baby oil, you can also opt for degreaser, baking soda, or WD-40.
Love Bug
Swiper No Swiping
Keeping wiper blades clean is a battle all in its own. On that note though, we’ve got a solution. Take some rubbing alcohol, pour a bit on a cloth or towel, and wipe the blade clean. That way when you use the wiper blades again, no streaks!
Swiper No Swiping
Easy Does It
What do a Phillips head screwdriver, a cloth, and filthy car have in common? The solution to cleaning those “hard to reach spots” in your car.
Easy Does It
Sock Puppet
There is actually another way that you can clean the cup-holder is cupcake molds aren’t for you. All you’ll need a cup, a sock placed over the cup, and to spray that same sock with tons of Windex. Next, take the cup “sockside” down in the cup holder, twist tons of times, and lift. Sounds weird but hey, the cup-holder is clean.
Sock Puppet
Smelly
Want to keep your car smelling clean all the time? Trick question, of course you do. Take a wooden clothespin, spray essential oils on it, and place the clothespin in your air vent. No, that’s really it. There’s no need to get the online auto insurance on the line, this isn’t some trick. Well it is a trick but one that’s actually beneficial to a clean car!
Smelly
Bin Me
The time has come for you to purchase a teeny, tiny trash bin. And then to put it inside your car. That way the garbage that piles up inside isn’t all over the floor or seats, instead it goes straight into the bin.
Bin Me
Floor Mat Heaven
Don’t worry about online auto insurance or the car wash when you need to clean the car floor mats. Instead take the car floor mats out, place on the ground, spray spray stain remover on them, and then put them in the washing machine with some laundry detergent, separate from everything else of course. Furthermore set the cycle to gentle (so this way you won’t break your washer), and done.
Floor Mat Heaven
Pam Halpert
Okay so Pam Halpert has nothing to do with the car trick but it got your attention! If you’re looking for another trick to get rid of those icky bugs on your front bumper then be sure to keep the spray Pam around. Simply spray some on the bumper, wait, and then wipe it all off.
Pam Halpert
Wax On, Wax Off
Remove the wax from your favorite scented candle, place it in a small jar with some holes cut into the tops, and wait for this to melt. As the wax melts, it will instantly and continuously release the perfume inside of it, so this way your car will always smell good.
Wax On Wax Off
Rolled Up Newspaper
Take any newspaper, whether you read it or not, and you can say farewell to dirty windows. Roll up a piece of the newspaper and wipe your window clean. That’s it. However just make sure you don’t use this trick on tinted windows.
Rolled Up Newspaper
Winter Time
When temperatures plummet and the roads get salted, ice is not able to form so the snow melts. But then this also causes your car’s bodywork to melt away, from the salt. Next time, to avoid such a disaster, mix water and vinegar together and spray this under your car. Therefore the salt will wash away and your car won’t erode.
Winter Time
Sheet No More
More often than not, kids are able to drop all of kinds things in and in between the car seats (or maybe it’s just you). Either way, it’s a total nightmare to clean all of this, especially if it’s candy that’s melted. To avoid this, put a sheet underneath the seat so if things do fall through, the sheet will collect it all!
Sheet No More
Iron The Mess
Don’t worry the next time something sticky, like candy, melts into the fabric of your car. It’s not something your online auto insurance can fix either. Nope, instead, an iron can. Simply take a thick piece of paper or fabric and place it on the sticky upholstery. Then take the iron out and put it on the paper for 20 to 30 seconds. What this does is to allow the mess to “jump” up and attach itself to the paper and out of the fabric of your car. Nice!
Iron The Mess
Remember The Interior
Goes without saying but make sure to clean the inner windshield and not just the outside. However the best solution to clean up the mess on the inside is if you mix a teaspoon of dishwashing soap in lukewarm water then add a drop or three of white vinegar. Put a cloth into the mix and then wipe the windshield. Not only do you have a clean windshield but it is all chemical free too!
Remember The Interior
Vent Hero
Remember how we said that air vents can get incredibly dirty? Like incredibly dirty. Well another solution to get rid of the ickiness is to use silica gel.
Vent Hero
Gelly
However that same silicia gel can also be sued to get rid of any dirt and grime that’s stuck in between the buttons on your console. Push the gel down gently so that completely surrounds the buttons, lift up, and done.
Gelly
DIY Car Upholstery Cleaner
Opt to use a homemade car upholstery cleaning solution. Especially if you have muddy mats, carpets, or any icky spots on your car seats. There are tons of links out there, find one you like and give it a go!
DIY Car Upholstery Cleaner
Armor-All Wipes
Yup, another DIY cleaning hack! Make your auto cleaning wipes, it’s super easy! Use these wipes to shine and clean your wheels, plus you can clean the vinyl surface of your car’s interior, such as the dashboard and center console.
Armor All Wipes
Sponge Brush
Now if your car happens to be littered with dust and dirt, especially when it’s stuck in vents or other really hard to clean areas, there’s a solution. Make sure you dampen a small sponge brush with any cleaner you want.
Sponge Brush
Cotton Balls
Going off the last fact, if you don’t have a sponge brush, changes are you have cotton swabs or balls at home. They work just as well! And it’s also a cheaper option as you probably have this at home already!
Cotton Balls
Windshield Help
There’s no doubt that your windshield gets dirty and quickly! But you can always buy a microfiber windshield cleaner tool which will help rid of any built up grime on your windshield in seconds. Just keep it in your glove box, as it can also be sued to wipe any condensation off the window during winter months.
Windshield Help
Cereal?
If you happen to have a plastic cereal container at home and also a grocery bag, you’ve got a cheap trash bin! This way, you don’t need to go out and buy a trash bin specifically for cars, a plastic cereal box works just as well. Plus it’s cheaper.
Cereal?
Keep Wipes Around
Always be sure to keep some auto cleaner wipes in your car, whether in the backseat or the glove box. They often only cost a few bucks and are handy to use for small messes.
Keep Wipes Around
Cover Up
Bringing your four legged best friend for a ride? It’ll be worth it to invest in what’s called a back-seat pet hammock! Especially as it means you don’t have to clean up after your best friend. Most the pet ammocks have buckles, so when you put it in the car, it takes just a few seconds.
Cover Up
Wax Time
Whether you wax your car yourself and get someone to do it for you, make sure you do it! Try to do this a few times a year, it’ll help keep the car clean! Plus any dirt and dust will be easier to clean off when you wash it next and you’ll preserve the paint job. Win-win.
Wax Time
Sticker Removal
If you have any unwanted stickers on your car you want to get rid of, there’s a hack for that. Use a razor blade, but be careful how it hold it! It should be held at an angle as you gently puss at under the sticker edge. Keep pushing until you remove a section and keep repeating the cycle until the sticker is gone.
Sticker Removal