Car maintenance is a mainstay of any car owner’s calendar, but with the Circuit Breaker putting most services on lockdown, there are some things you must be able to do on your own. Here are some car hacks to tide you over until the Circuit Breaker is lifted:

Toothpaste For Cloudy Headlights

You may not notice it at first, but one of the things that makes your car look rundown are cloudy headlights. Rub some toothpaste on them and leave for about an hour before rinsing with clean water and wiping them dry. Ta-da! Clear headlights that make your car look brand new!

Buff Your Dashboard With Coffee Filter And Olive Oil

The trickiest things about cleaning the car yourself is finding ways to buff out the stains but not scratch your upholstery and paint job. For this task, it’s household items to the rescue! Use a coffee filter for a scratch-free chamois and dab a bit of olive oil on your dash to rid them of scuff marks, water stains and dust. Make sure you use only a few drops of olive oil though -- you’re looking for that polished shine, not cooking eggs.

Plunger Out The Dents

Car dents are frustrating, mostly because they are innocuous enough to not require immediate car service but they are incredibly unsightly. Unattended car dents also tend to ruin your car paint, so to attend to the car dent yourself, take to it a plunger.

Use plungers for sinks rather than toilets, because the cup type would have a better grip on your car surface. After splashing the dent and the plunger with water, push and pull until you feel the dent pop out. That pop is oddly satisfying, and you save a lot of money than if you go to the car shop.

Take Out Sticker Gunk With Wet Newspaper

When it’s time for a car bumper sticker to be expunged from your car, either because it’s outlived its adhesive or because you want to restore your car to its default neutral state, stubborn glue residue is bound to give you trouble. Clean it off completely by overlaying a sheet of newspaper over the gunk and wiping over it with a damp towel. Leave the newspaper for about 15 minutes to allow the glue to soften, and then just gently scrape off the glue with a credit card so you don’t scratch the paint.

Use Baskets To Organize Your Trunk

Now that you’re mostly at home, it’s time to stop living out of the trunk of your car. Organize it by adding laundry baskets as a way to compartmentalise your stuff. It would be easier to find things you’re looking for, and you don’t accidentally mix your gym clothes with your office things.

Carabiners On Seats Keep Your Car Tidy

Speaking of organizing your things in your car, you can also find hacks to make sure that your car floor is not littered with random bags. Keep your car floor clear by hanging carabiners on the rods that hold up your headrest. Carabiners are usually used for securing rope and other outdoor gear, but inside your car, it can help hang bags and other supplies so your passengers do not have to worry about leg space.

Cupcake Holders Keep Cupholders Clean

One of the most annoying places to clean inside your car are the cup holders, simply because they go deep but are too small for your hand to properly reach the corners. Make sure you don’t need to pick out crumbs that get stuck in them by lining your cup holders with paper cupcake holders.

Get Your Car Steam Washed Instead

Unlike a regular car wash, a steam car wash does not only clean your car of dirt, it also sanitizes it from germs, bacteria and viruses. With steam car wash services like Bloop Wash, you also do not need to unload everything from your car before having it washed -- we can do it for you. All you need to take out are personal and precious items, and we will put everything back as we found them. Better yet, you don’t even need to take your car to the shop: we’re offering a mobile steam car wash service where we go wherever you are to service your car.