20 Car Maintenance Hacks That Every Driver Needs To Make Their Lives Easier

Car maintenance is no easy game to play. Once you've sold your soul to the contraption that will get you from point A to point B, you also sell your soul over to all of the maintenance and upkeep the car will require from that point on. However, not all maintenance needs to be a headache and it also doesn't need to cost tons of money either. There are some pretty simple car maintenance hacks that you will wish you had known sooner. Just a few of these simple items you'll need for basic maintenance are toothpaste, nail polish, and a toilet plunger. No joke. Here are 20 car maintenance hacks every driver needs to know in order to make their lives way easier (and cheaper)! 1. Cleaning headlights with toothpaste Bright Lights Now Use good ole' toothpaste to clean the headlights of your car! It'll clean your headlights arguably better than it cleans your teeth (those damn cavities). 2. Defog your car with the AC MotorBeam First, turn on the heat full blast to eliminate moisture in the air. Then, turn on the AC to make a dry environment. Next, switch back to the heat and switch off the air recirculation button, and finally, crack open the windows. This works a lot quicker than the typical defrost. 3. Cover the windshield during winter Amazon A lot of people use a sunshade in the summer to prevent the hot sun from boiling up your car. Well, the same thing can be done during the winter with a blanket or tarp on the outside of your windshield to protect it from snow and ice. 4. A more efficient way to cool down German Formula Inc Instead of blasting the AC and waiting 5-10 minutes for it to cool down, try rolling down the driver's side window, then opening and closing the passenger side door a few times. This will force the hot air out of the car faster than simply just relying on AC. 5. Nail polish to repair windshield cracks Afrivex As soon as you notice a small fracture in your windshield, put some clear nail polish on that bad boy. Read on to the NEXT page for more car maintenance hacks... 6. De-ice a frozen lock with hand sanitizer Inside Science via Jananya Sriphairo (Shutterstock) The alcoholic in hand sanitizer will typically melt the ice right off your car door handle. WD-40 is also another great tool to use in this instance. 7. Pool noodles for your garage Wikipedia Place a pool noodle along the sides of your garage to prevent your car from getting dinged as you back up out of the garage! 8. Keep your food warm in the passengar seat Yelp When out and about, perhaps picking up pizza takeout for the family, place the food in the passenger seat with the seat-heater blasting to keep the food warm. 9. Remove dents with a plunger Auto Maintenance & Repairs You can use a plunger to 'plunge out' the dents that are in your car from that one guy in the grocery store parking lot. No need to pay extra money to get those fixed! 10. Use an herbal tea bag as an air freshener teabag packing machine Wrap the herbal tea bag in a breathable cloth and hang it on the mirror. These are way cheaper to replace than spending money on a new air freshener every few weeks. They also come in a variety of calming and pleasant scents! See the NEXT page for more awesome car hacks! 11. Clean rust with Coca-Cola My Cleaning Products Use Coca-Cola to get rid of any rusting on your call. The acidity is enough to ruin your teeth over time, so instead of drinking it, just use it on rusty surfaces! 12. Keep cupholders clean with cupcake liners First For Women via Evercool Radiator/Facebook Use cupcake liners in your car's cupholders to keep the inside of them clean. They start to get dirty over time, especially with drinks, food, and who knows what else getting into those crevices! 13. Get an organizer for your car Mayfly If you have little ones around, this will be especially helpful for keeping your car organized and free of clutter! They also sell remote control caddies and can adhere to the side of your seats. 14. Use a paintbrush to clean air vents YourMechanic Air vents in your car can be pretty difficult to clean out, but that's what paintbrushes are for! All those hard-to-reach areas. 15. Cleaning your car's seats CarAndBike Use Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, dish soap, and hot water to clean your car's seats safely. But wait, there's more! Read on to the NEXT page for more car hacks you need to make your life easier... 16. A cargo shelf for your trunk YouTube A cargo shelf for your trunk will ultimately help organize whatever is in your trunk and it's good for families with or without kids. It just helps you stay organized and clutter-free! Who can argue that? 17. Use "Scour Off" for your hubcaps The Truth About Cars Many people just hose down their hubcaps and call it a day, but in some cases, it might need a little extra push. "Scour Off" is a great tool to use to remove the last of the pesky grime on your tire rims. 18. Use club soda on your windshield DetailXPerts Use club soda to wipe off any pesky sticky spots or anything else that might be stuck to your windshield. It works like a charm! 19. Quick fix for missing wiper blade Kwik Kar Find yourself a pair of pantyhose and wrap it tightly around the windshield wiper. This will prevent the bare wiper from scratching your windshield in the event you lose a blade and can't make it to the mechanic on time. 20. Remove bumper stickers with wet newspaper StickerYou Use some damp newspaper and lay it over the bumper sticker for about 15 minutes. This will soften the adhesive, make it easier to pull off and prevent any damage to your car. This also works for stickers on the windshield area! Be sure to SHARE this article to spread awareness about all these awesome car maintenance hacks!