These secret tricks are very handy for anyone who owns a car
A car is really just a means of transportation but for a lot of people, it’s also their most prized possession. You want to take good care of it and maintain it by cleaning it properly and treating it well. To help you along with this, we’ve got nine handy tips for you.
Every car owner should know about these tips.
1. Aluminium foil
Car keys that work via a keyless start system can be hacked quite easily these days. Thieves use a very simple device that enhances the signal of the car key, which makes it easy for them to steal the car. So, even if the car key is inside your home and the car is sitting a little way down the road, it can be stolen! To block the signal and thus prevent your car from being stolen, you can try a few different tricks. By far the cheapest and easiest trick is to wrap your car key in aluminium foil before putting it in your bag or pocket. This will disrupt the signal. You can also buy special metal wallets that will block the signal.
2. Muffin cases
Do you go for long drives regularly and does this mean you sometimes have a snack while you’re driving? Try placing paper muffin cases in the cup holder in your car. Why? If you put food or a drink in the cup holder, you’ll get crumbs and other spills on the muffin case instead of the car itself. This is especially handy when you’re eating a cookie. The muffin case will catch all of the crumbs and you can simply throw out the muffin case later. This will save you some time vacuuming!
3. Parking in winter
As soon as the temperature drops below zero at night, we need to scrape the ice from our windshields in the morning. This is very annoying because it costs you a lot of time. By using this handy parking trick you can prevent this annoying issue: park your car with its nose facing east. That’s where the sun comes up, which means the ice will melt from the windshield faster.
4. Cleaning with oil
When you have an older car, the leather interior can start to look a little dull. Many cleaning products won’t help fix this – in fact, they will probably only make it worse. By carefully rubbing your car upholstery with a little olive oil and a microfiber cloth, it will start to shine again. Skip your steering wheel when you do this, though, because the oil will cause you to have a less good grip on the wheel, which can be dangerous.
5. Keep an eye on trucks
Generally speaking, trucks don’t drive as fast as passenger cars, but it’s smart to keep an eye on them nonetheless. Are the truck drivers suddenly slowing down a little to stick to the speed limit? Then there’s a good chance there’s a speed camera coming up. Truck drivers often tell each other about this, which means they know about it sooner than if you just listen to the radio. So, make sure you keep to the speed limit if you notice trucks around you slowing down. Although, of course, you should preferably stick to the speed limit at all times.
6. Clear nail polish
It’s really handy to keep a bottle of clear nail polish in the glove compartment of your car. Yes, for men, too! Why? If you get a tiny fracture in your windshield when you’re on the road, you can temporarily ‘glue’ it with a bit of nail polish. Of course, this isn’t an alternative to getting it fixed, but it can be handy when you’re on the road.
7. Improvised tablet holder
Are you going on holiday or for a family visit and do you have to drive for a long time with (small) children in the backseat? They will probably keep busy with a tablet. You can fashion an improvised tablet holder by attaching baggage clips to the headrest of one of the chairs. Your children will have their own television screen in the back!
8. Hairs
Do you take your dog with you in the car regularly and does your car have fabric upholstery? You can vacuum all you want, but those rough dog hairs won’t all come out. The trick? A squeegee! Use a spray bottle to spray some water on the car chairs and the backseat. If you want your car to smell nice you can even add a tiny bit of fabric softener to the water in the bottle. Next, use the squeegee to wipe the fabric surfaces and you’ll see the hairs will come right off. Your car seats have never been so clean before!
9. Conditioner
We usually use conditioner for our hair, but it can also be very handy on your car! Pick a conditioner that contains lanolin; this substance will apply a protective layer on the paint of your car, just like car wax would. That way, your car will remain shiny for longer. Handy, right?
Source: Autoguru | Image: Pexels