“It’s car wash day!” The exclamation usage in the preceding sentence is mere rhetoric. Let’s face it. There is seldom any living soul who is truly excited about a good 20-minutes scrub wrestling with stubborn metal blotches or mud-laden glass surfaces of a 4000-pound car. Nevertheless, a few tricks listed below could make this job more welcoming and worth the effort. The best part is, they can be tried at home with readily available household things.

1) Hair Care could be Car Care: Add a squirt of hair conditioner to a bucket full of warm water.Use the resulting foam to wash your car using a sponge and you will be complementing yourself by the time you finish it. Caution: For married men, prior permission from wife about using the conditioner is strongly advised.

2) Clean Windshield with Cola: Unexpected rains tend to ruin the windshield with damp (or damn) streaks. Using the wiper will only further streak the glass instead of clearing it. Make a stop to fetch a cola mini can and pour it over the glass. The bubbles will fizz away the grime. Now, you can drive safe without having to look through the streaks. Caution: Wash the sticky windshield later with water to avoid further gathering of dust.

3) Polish Headlights. Protect Your Head: Rub the headlights fiercely with an old piece of cloth soaked in window cleaner. Driving a car with dirty headlights is like searching for keys by wearing stained spectacles. You are most likely looking to bang your head hard.

4) Avoid Air Drying: After wash, taking the wet car on road will leave blemishes. Let it dry completely or wipe it with dry cloth thoroughly, before commencing your journey.

5) Baby on Board, Cleanliness all the More: Get ‘em baby wipes out of your glove compartment and use them to clean your windshield and car windows. Be rest assured, the baby wouldn’t mind.

6) Eco-friendly Window Cleaner: Mix together 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup alcohol in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle gently and spray the liquid on the window surfaces. It does a good job getting off the dirt. Also make an effort to use reusable cloth wipes instead of paper towels as part of a green practice.

7) Toothpaste- The Interior Cleanser: Turns out, your toothpaste could get out the mild stains not just from your teeth, but also from leather/vinyl seats. Squeeze a dab of toothpaste on a fresh cloth and wipe it on the interiors. Caution: Do a small test area first to ensure that the toothpaste won’t affect the dyes used in the material.

8) Freshen up with Baking Soda: If you find your car a bit stuffy, make use of that baking soda. Sprinkle the baking soda on the cloth of your car seats, and even the floorboards. Leave it for few hours, or overnight, and then vacuum it up. You will notice the refreshing feel of the interiors instantly.

9) Silence those Squeaky Doors: Using olive oil or Coconut oil would just do fine.

10) Instant Tire Cleaner: Of all the car components, tires are subjected to the most abuse while making way through the dirt. Treat these tough carriers with a paste of baking soda, lemon juice and peroxide (disinfectant in your first aid box). Use a brush to reach between the buttons and they are ready to tread again.