Most experts encourage you to take your car to a professional car wash sometime between once a week and once a month, depending on your commute and the environment in which you store your car. Any less often than that and you run the risk of getting pollutants into your car’s paint that can damage the exterior and destroy its resale value. If you do not have time to make it to a car wash every week or every month, download the MobileWash App and schedule a time for them to come to you to wash your car!
But what about the time between washes? How do you keep the minor things like windshield wipers and headlights shiny and beautiful in between visits? Here are some simple, yet interesting, car maintenance hacks.
- Dealing with Dust? Use a brush
If you have stubborn dirt stuck to your vents or other hard to clean crevices, dampen a small sponge brush with a dust removal cleaner of your choice. Pine-Sol multi-purpose cleaner is perfect for the job. Don’t have a brush? No problem! You can use cotton balls or swabs as well. This will help remove stains, grime, and gunk from those hard to reach areas in your vehicle.
- Baby Wipes Can Clean your Windows
If you’re a parent, chances are you already have about a billion of these laying around, but for others, carry a few baby or Windex wipes in the glove compartment of your car to give your windows a quick clean whenever you notice them becoming streaky. Wipe the inside and outside of your glass thoroughly, and you’ll notice an immediate change in appearance.
- Add Baking Soda to Your Exterior Wash
After a long winter season of snow, salt, and grime, the best way to get your vehicle extra shiny and clean is to use baking soda in your regular wash. You add one cup of baking soda to a gallon of warm soapy water and wash as normal. This deep cleaning method is powerful and will leave your vehicle sparkling.
4. Toothpaste can make your Headlights look fresh!
If your lights are looking dim and faded, common household toothpaste can brighten them up. Take a damp rag and squirt a small amount of toothpaste on it and firmly scrub the headlights. This may take a few minutes, but after you rinse thoroughly and let air-dry, they will be clean, clear, with little to no cost!