13 Car Lifehacks That Even Experienced Drivers Might Have Overlooked

Any self-respecting car enthusiast will have, over the years, accumulated a wealth of tips and tricks that help them refine their driving experience and keep their car in pristine condition with a minimum amount of effort. And when experienced drivers share such secrets on the internet, those that may be new to the game, are quick to spread the news around.

Here at CHEERY, we’re sincerely grateful to the professionals and enthusiasts who came up with these ingenious tips and didn’t hesitate to tell everyone about them. Our bonus tip will come in handy in an extreme situation.

You can open your car from a distance by raising the key to your head

This unusual trick can help you find your car in a car park, for example. Just raise the key up to your head and it will work even at a long distance. Roger Bowley, a physicist at the University of Nottingham explains that in this case, our brain acts like a radio transmitter, increasing the power of the remote-control key.

This happens due to the interaction between electromagnetic waves and water in the brain. So, a simple water bottle can serve the same purpose.

A penny test will help you determine the safety of your tyres

To determine the level of wear on the tyres, turn a penny with Abraham Lincoln’s portrait upside down and place it in the tread notch. If the edge of the rubber slightly covers the head, the tyres are fine. If the rubber barely touches, or doesn’t even reach the hair, then they’re too worn and need replacing.

Equally, in the UK, use a 20p coin — if the ridge goes all the way down into the tread notch, you’re fine. If not, consider a tyre replacement.

Clear nail polish can act as a temporary quick fix for the windscreen

This tip works on the same premise as the old tights-saving trick: apply clear nail polish to the edge of the tear to prevent the thread from “running down”. Similarly, to prevent a small crack on the glass from spreading, you can apply a little nail polish to the edges. Remember to degrease the surface beforehand, with soapy water, or a cleaning solution.

Keep your cup holders clean by using cupcake cases

Picking out bits of rubbish from hard-to-reach places, like cup holders, is a tedious and unpleasant task, especially if you don’t have a car hoover. A silicone muffin case can solve this problem. Place the muffin case inside your cup holders and it will pick up any crumbs or spills. Later on, simply take it out, give it a wipe, and you’re good to go!

A simple elastic band can be an effective replacement for a phone holder

To make this contraption, simply thread a rubber band through the air con grille. The loops should be quite tight at both ends. This allows you to conveniently position your phone and use it as a sat nav without being distracted whilst behind the wheel.

Don’t stop at your windows when using screen wash, you can use it to clean the wipers as well

If the windscreen wipers aren’t doing a great job — smearing dirt and moisture all over the windscreen, or leaving streaks behind, don’t rush to change the wipers. They may just be dirty and in need of a wipe themselves.

A microfibre cloth and some screen wash (you probably have a bottle of it in your boot) will do the job beautifully. Pour a small amount onto the cloth, fold back the wipers and wipe the blades thoroughly to remove any dirt, then wipe dry with paper towels, making sure there’s no more residue.

A bin in the car will help you keep it much tidier

The glove compartment, the rear seat and the entire interior, can, seemingly, accumulate rubbish in the blink of an eye. To keep things tidy, you can incorporate a bin into your car. Any spare container or box will do, but you can also buy specially designed waste baskets that have convenient fasteners so you can easily secure them onto the back of your seat.

Create an organised play area for the kids by using shower caddies

A few plastic containers of different sizes with suction cups can help you organise the little things children need on the road. You can use shower caddies, that you can pick up in the bathroom section at the supermarket, which are super easy to attach to the window and just as easy to remove. They can hold a water bottle, snacks, small toys, crayons, etc. Children can easily reach everything they need and, with a bit of luck, even help keep things tidy.

Use this children’s toy to clean the centre console

Slime is an excellent cleaning product for inside your car. Thanks to its texture, it gets into even the hardest-to-reach areas, picking up crumbs and dust without leaving behind any residue. It can be used to clean air vents, cup holders, door handles, buttons and other parts of the dashboard and centre console, as well as the gear stick.

You can make your own slime by mixing glue, baking soda and contact lens fluid.

Get a feel for the size of a vehicle by using an empty plastic bottle

A simple piece of rubbish can be a useful tool to help give you a full-fledged training session, help you improve your parking skills and perform complex manoeuvres without fear of hitting other cars, trees or fenceposts. Simply find a safe area to practice, then put the bottle on the floor and try hitting it with, first, the left wheel, and then the right. A very characteristic crunching sound will signal that you’re doing well (so you might want to crack the window).

After a few tries, you will get a better idea of, and start to feel exactly where the wheels are positioned, which will help you get used to the car’s dimensions.

Hand sanitiser will help you fight against a frozen lock

Carrying a small bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer isn’t only good for fighting germs. It can help you win a fight against a stubborn frozen car door lock, as well. All you have to do is pour the hand sanitiser directly onto the lock and wiggle the key gently. The frozen door will quickly yield.

Toothpaste is excellent for cleaning the headlights

According to car enthusiasts who have tried this simple trick, it works exceptionally well. To make your car’s headlights shine like they’re new, simply arm yourself with an old toothbrush and some toothpaste. Thoroughly polish the headlights with a small amount of toothpaste, then rinse it off with water and wipe them dry.

You can figure out whether you’re on a one-way, or a two-way road, even if you’ve missed the sign

If you’ve missed the sign and can’t figure out what type of road you’re on, (no markings or parked cars), look at the road signs on both sides of the road. If they are all turned towards you, the road is one-way; if the signs on the side opposite to you are facing away from you, then you’re on a two-way road.

Bonus: a lifehack that will come in handy in an extreme situation

One time I was driving near some farms, and I noticed my engine temp was getting pretty high. I pull over to the side to let my car cool off for a bit. A farm owner came out to see what the problem was, and together we realize my radiator had a hole in it. The farmer comes with one chicken egg, cracks it open on the car, and puts the yolk and white in the radiator.

At the time I was like «Uh, what are you doing to my car?», but he assured me that this trick would work. He said, «this should probably last you long enough to get to a shop and get that fixed», and he was right. We filled the radiator with water, and the egg actually plugged the hole in the radiator for another 20 miles. © grizzlybear1337 / Reddit

• Can confirm. Saw it on Mythbusters. © Combat_Sloth / Reddit

Are there any car lifehacks that you swear by?