Household Remedies for Cleaning, Repairing, or Maintaining Motorcars

[Junkman]

Vinegar against sticker residue, oven spray against dirty rims, coffee against vile odours - which home remedies really help with car care, and what can possibly do more damage than good?

 

There are plenty of tips on the Internet that you believe are true just because it's online. But only the right remedies used in the right place and situation will really help.

What are the biggest deadly sins, how do I avoid them and which home remedies may help?

[lesapandre]

My Citroen has splashes of emulsion and gloss paint inside and out as it belonged to a decorator. I researched olive oil may help for the emulsion/gloss or nail varnish remover. Not tried it yet as I don't want to make a bad situation worse. White sprit does not seem to work.

[artdjones]

For the emulsion,try petrol.

[N Dentressangle]

Candle wax on seized bolts / studs. See my Range Rover thread for details.

[artdjones]

Baby wipes are great for cleaning interior trim.They can really get dirt out of cloth seats,and another good use is on steering wheels and hard plastics,as they leave a nice matt finish.

Although some of them are so strong,you wonder about their effects on babies' undercarriages.

[Rocket88]

Bacofoil for knackered silvering on lights.........

[The_Equalizer]

Baby wipes are great for cleaning interior trim.They can really get dirt out of cloth seats,and another good use is on steering wheels and hard plastics,as they leave a nice matt finish.

Although some of them are so strong,you wonder about their effects on babies' undercarriages.

 

Spot on. I am amazed at how efficient baby wipes are for every type of cleaning. I use them for my all my car interiors - I even cleaned the inside of my Land Rover with them prior to its MoT. I also have a damp cloth as baby wipes can caused streaking.

 

On another note, when I dipped my toes into buying and selling classics I heard that dealers use Cillit Bang was used on wire wheels. Not sure if it did them any good long-term mind you.

[Stanky]

A clean sock filled with rice will dehumidify cars to a certain extent. A bowl of salt left in a car will deororise it over time.

[lesapandre]

Use Humbrol kit enamal as touch-up paint. Some hues can be a surprisingly good match. Their matt black is good for chipped matt parts. A cheap and cheerful fix

[lesapandre]

For dirty trim parts the dishwasher works wonders.

[lesapandre]

Holes in the plastic rear tailgate of a Citroen etc. A judicious placed F or GB transforms things instantly. Same for holes in the dash. Some appropriate sticker tidied it up.

[lesapandre]

Clean glass with scrunched up newspaper and water or vinegar. Works a treat. Really getting the windows clean on a banger can transform its appearance after all a car is 1/3 glass

[N Dentressangle]

Use Humbrol kit enamal as touch-up paint. Some hues can be a surprisingly good match. Their matt black is good for chipped matt parts. A cheap and cheerful fix

 

Never thought of that. Top idea.

 

Good excuse to go to the model shop, too...

[lesapandre]

And for grit and stray hairs etc you can't hoover out...wrap your hand in gaffertaple sticky side out and use it to pick up debris - repeat when sticky effect is exhausted.

[lesapandre]

Use cheap hair lacquer to keep parts of a sagging headling up. Only works with the light nylon ones.

[Captain Furious]

Clean glass with scrunched up newspaper and water or vinegar. Works a treat. Really getting the windows clean on a banger can transform its appearance after all a car is 1/3 glass

 

Someone once advised me to do this to stop my windscreen wipers screeching.  They screeched 10x worse afterwards.

 

Jury out, for windscreens at least

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Clean glass with scrunched up newspaper and water or vinegar. Works a treat. Really getting the windows clean on a banger can transform its appearance after all a car is 1/3 glass

In the dim and distant past , I attended the Rolls Royce Chauffeur School for 2 weeks, of which 2 days were about washing fucking cars!

Anyway, the guy teaching us had a mantra " Windows and wheels, lads, windows and wheels" basically as long as those are clean and shiny you can get away with the bodywork.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Seen that stuff used to get the dust out from around all the buttons and switchgear, kinda like a putty/gel; I wonder if silly putty, blu tack or plasticine would work as well.

Kiwi boot polish if often far better for leather seats than any overpriced proprietary car leather care products.

I concur that vinegar and a bit of soapy water makes a great glass cleaner.

[face]

Normal white vinegar?

[lesapandre]

Toothpaste is good for dulled chrome - it takes the film off. Useful for other stuff too where you want to deep clean the surface including scratched glass.

[lesapandre]

Normal white vinegar?

Depends on the car. Balsamic if its Italian.

[Guest Hooli]

 

 

coffee against vile odours

But coffee IS a vile odour.

[stonedagain]

When Mrs Stoned's Polo what it's rear wheel cylinders, leaving a disgusting cocktail of brake dust & brake fluid everywhere I tried cleaning them with brake cleaner, but found it worse than useless. So,I tried using kitchen cleaner (any brand will do) & an old paint brush. Result! After a good scrub & a rinse with clean water they came up like new.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Seen that stuff used to get the dust out from around all the buttons and switchgear, kinda like a putty/gel; I wonder if silly putty, blu tack or plasticine would work as well.

Kiwi boot polish if often far better for leather seats than any overpriced proprietary car leather care products.

I concur that vinegar and a bit of soapy water makes a great glass cleaner.

I can't be the only one to have used a bit of chewing gum to do this, can I ?

It's not like I chewed it again afterwards, I'm not a total savage, you know.

 

Back to more normal stuff; Mr Muscle glass cleaner, best thing ever for cleaning ground in grime on light coloured leather, probably not terribly good for it if used regularly , but that and a soft nailbrush can transform filthy trim.

[JeeExEll]

Rattlecan matt-black on stained or tatty carpets. Black ones.

[MikeR]

a lighter flame to melt and tidy up the frayed furry edges of seat belts ,,,,,,

 

also  for when the  car gets on your t**s ...

[stonedagain]

Rattlecan matt-black on stained or tatty carpets. Black ones.

Years ago, I bought a Hillman Avenger with a grotty fagnolia headliner. I sprayed a rattle can of satin black over it, turned out great!

[purplebargeken]

Vinyl silk emulsion is great on Triumph Dolomite headlinings.

 

Cif is bloody good on most plastic interior bits and vinyl seats.

[Uncle Jimmy]

a lighter flame to melt and tidy up the frayed furry edges of seat belts ,,,,,,

 

also  for when the  car gets on your t**s ...

Lighter flame on your shoelace ends when they get frayed and won't go through the eyelets.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Peanut butter is supposed to be good on grey plastic bumpers and trim; I've yet to try it though!