Running low on budget to send your car for a professional cleaning service? Find it a hassle to drive over to a car-spa centre? Fret not! These are some hacks you can do-it-yourself at your own convenience.

Car seats

Cloth

Finding trouble cleaning out stains from your cloth seats? Here’s how! However, before cleaning it, vacuum your seats to remove any debris. Try mixing baking soda and water (equal amount) and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray it on the stained area and let it sit for about two hours (not more) then wipe the baking soda residue away with a damp cloth.

You can also combine one part white vinegar with three parts warm water and add half tablespoon of liquid soap into a spray bottle. Spray it on the stained area and let it sit for about thirty minutes. Take a toothbrush and gently rub away the stain.

Leather

Leather seats are generally easier to clean compare to cloth seats. However, leather seats also require maintenance.

Take a damp cloth (not wet) and rub some mild hand soap into it. Make sure the soap is properly soaked into the cloth. Wipe down the seats and any leather trims in your car and take a second clean damp cloth to wipe it once again to remove any soap residue. Once that is done, take a dry cloth and wipe it down.

Removing pet hair

Sometimes, we need to bring our pets to the vet, or simply, on a short trip. If you have a pet that sheds its coat frequently, it will be a headache! There are many ways you can remove pet hair from your car.

• You can blow up a balloon and make some static. Take an inflated balloon and rub it in your car upholstery to lift away pet hair.

• Wear a rubber glove, spray your upholstery with water (lightly) and sweep it with your gloved hands. The hairs should stick to the gloves.

• Vacuum away! Some vacuums come with a bristled brush, so, attach that to your vacuum and your good to go.

• The next time you are thinking of bringing your pet along, you can always buy a seat cover, or simply use any unused cloth in your house and put on your seats!

Headlights

Toothpaste can not only clean your tooth, it can clean your headlights! Toothpaste does wonders in cleaning foggy headlights. First, you need to wipe the headlights then rub toothpaste over it with a cloth. Leave for a few minutes, rinse it off completely with water and let it dry.

Olive Oil

Yes, you heard that right! It works well in the kitchen, it also works well on the car. Rub a little olive oil on your car’s dashboard to give it some shine and helps moisture the material. If you have no leather wipes with you, you can opt to use olive oil and wipe it on your leather seats too!  (A minimal amount would do)

Windshield wipers

Once you get your car all cleaned up, even the wipers, don’t forget to rub the wipers with alcohol. This will prevent the wipers from leaving smears on your windshield when you use them. According to the site, www.popularmechanics.com , windshield wiper blades gets worn out easily. If you are driving through wet weather with an old or missing windshield wiper, it can scratch your window glass. The quick fix? Wrap them tightly with a pair of women’s stockings to prevent the metal from scraping the glass. They also work well to clean off debris and smudges. However, we do recommend you to get a new one once that is done!