Insider tricks to clean your car for less!

The average carwash costs R40.00. That means that washing your car once a week costs you on average an astonishing R1,920 per year.

But you don’t need to spend a fortune (or hours out of your weekend) to keep your car looking good. In these tough times, I’ve uncovered surprising ways to remove grease, bird droppings, bad smells and more… Save the cash and use these trade secrets instead…

Use these insider secrets to clean your car for much less:
 
Instant car carpet cleaner: Use a cup of warm water with one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Dip a cloth into mixture and sponge the stain. Even grease stains will vanish before your eyes.
 
Streak-free windows: Use an old newspaper to clean windows instead of a cloth. It works better and leaves no streaks.
 
Clean your aircon grill: Use cotton earbuds to clean the grills of your panel vents. For even tighter bits – use toothpicks!
 
Bird droppings? Bird droppings contain acids that can damage your car’s paint. So pour soda water on the dropping as soon as possible. When the soda stops bubbling – wipe it off.
 
Remove scratches: If you don’t have any touch up paint on hand – use a crayon! Choose a colour that matches your paintwork and rub it in. Then remove any excess.
 
Squashed bug? To removed insects from your car sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and dab it on. Wait for a minute and then wash off with clean water.
 
Keep your car smelling sweet: Put a refill packet of liquid softener under your seat. No one will see it but your car will smell divine.
 
Grease-laden headlights? Take a cup of vinegar, add it to a litre of water and add one tablespoon of cornstarch. Sponge your headlights with the mixture and leave for 10 minutes. Then rub off with a soft cloth.
 
Cracked eggs from your shopping trip? Pour soda water over the offending stain and wait until it stops bubbling, then wipe it clean.
 
Spilt milk? Wipe the milk away with the carpet cleaner mentioned earlier. Then cut up a fresh apple and leave it in the car overnight. If this still doesn’t work then pour some vinegar over the stain and wait for it to dry.
 
Bumper stickers: Apply a thin layer of vaseline to your bumper sticker before attaching it to your bumper. This way the stickers will peel off easily without leaving any glue behind. To remove an already-attached bumper sticker soak a cloth in white vinegar and place it over the sticker for 30-60 minutes. This will allow you to peel off the sticker with a credit card.
 
Removing hair from upholstery: Take a strip of packing tape and stick it down firmly on the area of the car’s upholstery to be cleaned. Then, remove at once.
 
Tree sap? If the sap has already dried – coat it with mayonnaise and wait a few minutes. Then wipe it off. It works!
 
For a windscreen that repels water: Clean your car window with your normal cleaner, then apply some alcohol with a paper towel. Let it dry, then wipe with a clean, dry cloth. That’s it!
 
Foggy windshield? Apply a thin coat of shaving cream to the interior of your windshield. Let it dry and then wipe it off. This will keep them from fogging up in winter.
 
Tinted windows? If you have tinted windows, use a window cleaner without ammonia. If you don’t, the tint will start to fade and change colours. Sometimes it even turns purple!