Even though we usually deal with cars at the end of their life, we still manage to pick up a few hints and tips for keeping them looking good when they’re on the road. Here are our eight favourite hacks for making everyday motoring that little bit easier.
Make your headlights sparkle using toothpaste! Apply the toothpaste to the plastic lens cover with a cloth and rub it in. Rinse off completely with clean water and then dry it. Apparently whitening toothpaste is best for this hack!
If you struggle to tell how close to the back wall of your garage is to the nose of your car, try this trick. You’ll need a ladder, two screw hooks, string, and a tennis ball.
Park your car in the right position, measure the distance between the roof and the middle of your windscreen, add an extra foot (for the knots) then cut. Screw the first hook into the tennis ball, and the second into the ceiling of your garage, directly above the middle of your windscreen, then tie the string to each hook. The ball should sit in the middle of your windscreen. If it doesn’t, untie the string at one end and adjust it to the right length.
Now you’ll know when your car is the right distance away from the wall when the ball touches your windscreen, and you won’t end up with bumps and scratches that’ll put buyers off when you decide to sell your car.
Use newspaper! If your car has a stubborn sticker on its window that just won’t budge, maybe from the previous owner, or the kids insisted on the funny decal a few years ago, but now you want to sell the car on, it’s easy to remove an unwanted sticker. Soak the newspaper in warm water, then place it over the sticker for 10 minutes. The sticky residue should just slide off.
No need to put the air con up to full whack to cool your car. Roll down a window and then open and close the opposite door a few times. The hot air will be pushed out of your car.
Hook a mesh bungee net up using the coat hooks/handles on the roof of your car. Use the mesh to store hats, coats, scarves… anything that usually ends up in the footwell or piled on passengers!
Tie fabric shoe organisers onto the back of your front seats to keep things tidy in the car. This one is ideal for keeping your children’s favourite games and snacks close to hand for them on long journeys.
Stop struggling to get your car keys onto that new keyring you got on holiday. Use a staple remover to separate the two rings, so that you can pop the key on it easily.
Use a cereal container as a rubbish bin and keep it in the passenger foot-well. It won’t take up much space, and it’ll be easier to empty than your door pockets and cup holders where rubbish usually gets stashed.
Got any life hacks for motoring that we haven’t picked up on? Let us know!
