Life Hack: These are the viral car cleaning hacks to avoid
Here's why you shouldn't rely on viral cleaning hacks for your car
From removing stains to buffing mirrors, the internet is full of questionable advice when it comes to cleaning your car, and experts are warning some of these shortcuts can actually do more harm than good to your motor.
“While the viral car cleaning hacks may appear tempting for quick fixes, some of them can lead to unwanted consequences, causing lasting damage to your vehicle,” says Greg Wilson, CEO of Quotezone.co.uk.
“It’s important to remember that these social media videos are often not made by experts and they may not be aware that their seemingly helpful hacks can cause more harm than good.” Wilson says drivers should stick with “proven, manufacturer-approved methods and specialist cleaning products” to protect their cars.
“By using the correct products you can avoid any additional damages, which could end up costing you less in the long run.” Here are seven hacks to avoid.
This is touted as a solution for oil stains, but beer is not an effective cleaner. In addition, baking soda is abrasive and could damage the car. Less harmful but still annoying to deal with, this mixture can leave a sticky residue behind, meaning even more cleaning to be done.
From polishing your car to cleaning mirrors, toothpaste is often recommended. However, it can damage the car’s clear paint coat and the paint under it. Similarly, mirrors can be scratched because of its abrasive properties.
While it may seem like an all-purpose cleaning solution around the house, you should not use baking soda/bicarbonate of soda and vinegar on your car. It can be abrasive or corrosive and damage both the inside and exterior of your car.
Some people use olive oil to clean leather car seats as well as the dashboard. Leather needs a dedicated cleaning product to clean it, not a cooking oil. This will make the seats greasy and create an odour. Similarly, While olive oil is sometimes used for dashboards, opt for a specialist product instead to avoid issues.
For stains in a car’s upholstery, several videos suggest shaving foam to remove them. However, regular use of shaving gel — which contains mineral oils — can result in additional stains, discolouration and even irreversible damage.
While it may work temporarily to clean plastic in cars, coconut oil could damage the car's paint. This will cause a dull appearance or even small scratches and make the paintwork more susceptible to rust.
Made to cut through grease and grime, washing up liquid seems like an obvious choice to tackle grease on a car. However, as they remove oils they can strip away protective wax and clear coat on your car's paint.
