For many of us, it would be impossible to imagine modern life without cars. We use them for our daily commutes, for shopping and groceries, and even for long trips across the country. Of course, to keep the car running optimally requires you to take proper care of it. While some maintenance tasks are best left to the mechanic to work on, there are lots of DIY cleaning and maintenance solutions you can easily perform yourself to keep your car in good order.
Here is our compilation of 12 easy car maintenance hacks that you can do self at your garage, saving money and time in the process.
1. Use Nail Polish to Fix Minor Scratches
Nothing can be more jarring than seeing scratches appear on your brand-new car. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are with your car, you cannot safeguard its paint from the risk of scratches. Fortunately, for minor ones, there is a quick fix – simply select a nail polish of the same color as your car paint and use it to remove any insightful blemishes.
2. Use a Plunger to Remove Dents
A plunger isn’t just useful for unclogging a drain but can also help with fixing small to medium-sized dents on your car’s exterior. Simply splash some water on both the dent and the plunger and start pushing and pulling on the handle until the dent pops out.
3. Use a Razor Blade to Clean Your Windshield
Windshield glass is designed to be tough. Using a razor blade to remove grime and gunk on its surface is unlikely to create scratches on it but really works wonders if you’re looking to clean your windshield. For the best results, be sure to properly lubricate the glass with soap and water before working on it with the razor blade.
4. Use Olive Oil to Clean the Interior
Olive oil isn’t just a healthy alternative to conventional cooking oil but also a very effective cleaning agent. It can help loosen stains, grime, and dirt off of surfaces, making them a breeze to clean. To clean your car’s interior with olive oil, simply dab a microfiber towel with it and start rubbing the surfaces.
5. Use Toothpaste to Clean Headlights
The same abrasive action of a toothpaste that helps remove dental plaque and stains can also work wonders in other cleaning applications, including cleaning headlights. Over time, the plastic on the headlights can start to become yellowed and foggy. To make them appear as good as new, apply some toothpaste on the surface with a firm toothbrush and start cleaning. Wipe the paste away with a clean cloth and be surprised at the stunning results!
6. Use Clear Nail Polish to Fix Minor Windshield Cracks
Unless you address the problem quickly, those minor cracks that see emerging on your windshield can spread over time and significantly compromise the glass’s integrity. To prevent the problem from becoming worse, fix it by applying clear nail polish on both sides of the cracks.
7. Use Hand Sanitizer to Open a Frozen Lock Quickly
It’s a chilly January morning, and you are ready to go to work. However, when you step outside, you come to the horrible realization that your car’s locks have frozen. You spent the next 20 or so minutes in the cold unsuccessfully trying to unlock the vehicle before deciding to take an Uber instead.
To avoid such predicaments in the future, simply put a dash of hand sanitizer on the lock. The alcohol present in the solution will cause the ice to thaw out, allowing you to unlock your vehicle. With that said, avoid substituting it with stronger alcoholic liquids as they may damage the car paint.
8. Use Pool Noodles to Protect Your Car Doors
If space is tight in your garage, there is always the risk, especially when you are in a hurry, of accidentally damaging your car doors when you open them. To avoid getting unsightly dings and dents, cut pool noodles in half and attach them lengthwise to the garage walls so that your car doors always hit something soft instead of a hard surface when you are not careful.
9. Keep a Pair of Stockings for Car Emergencies
As with any car part, a timing belt over time will wear out, and thus, will need replacing. If you have been neglectful of this essential maintenance task, there is the risk of the timing belt breaking off, and you can suddenly end up with a non-working engine.
If you are unlucky enough to get stuck in such a situation and there is no mechanic for miles, you can make use of a pair of stockings to serve as a temporary replacement for your timing belt. Being strong yet flexible, the garment may just be versatile enough to keep your car engine going until you reach your nearest mechanic.
Stockings could also be useful in case you forget to replace your old damaged wiper blades before the start of the rainy season. Wrapping the stockings around the blades can help prevent them from scratching your windshield and make them more effective at wicking away the rainwater.
10. Use Coca Cola to Remove Rust
WD-40 works wonders when it comes to removing rust, but in case you have run out of it but still need to give your car a shine-up in a pinch, you can use Coca Cola as a good substitute. The soft drink is quite acidic, and thus, can really help loosen the rust over the surface, making it easier to clean off. By extension, you can also use it to clear any corrosion on your car battery and cables. Just be mindful not to spill it over your car paint.
11. Use Hair Conditioner to Shine Your Car
There is no need to purchase any expensive agents to keep your car’s surface shiny and new; simply use your hair conditioner instead. After giving your car a good cleaning, cover it entirely with a mixed solution of 4-part water and 1-part hair conditioner. Give it a rinse afterward, dry the surface with a towel, and marvel at your gleaming results.
12. Clean Hard to Reach Spots with a Cloth and a Screwdriver
Trying to clear out dirt, gunk, and grime from the nook and crannies of your car can be a very frustrating affair. Fortunately, an easy method to reach them better is to simply wrap a thin cleaning cloth around a long screwdriver and utilize it for the purpose.
Over to You
Which of these easy car maintenance hacks did you like the most? Know of any hacks that you would like to share? Tell us about it and more in the comments below. Don’t forget to share this article with others if you found it to be a worthwhile read.
Courtesy of paautoinspection
