Welcome to Cleaning Tips

Cleaning Car Windshields

The best solution for cleaning windshields is 1/2 cup baking soda mixed with a quart of warm water. This will clean insects off the windshield and clean the wipers. Apply with a piece of mesh onion bag wrapped around a sponge.

Automobile Carpet Freshener

To freshen the carpet in your car, and deodorize, sprinkle the carpet with either commercial carpet deodorizer or baking soda. Let set for 30 minutes, then vacuum. This should leave your car smelling clean and fresh.

Cleaning Car Ashtrays

To help eliminate odors and extinguish cigarettes, place either baking soda or kitty litter in your car´s ashtray. This will deodorize your car and help prevent it from smelling like cigarette smoke.

Tree Sap Removal from Car Exterior

To get tree sap off your car, you can try Goof Off (or a product similar to that), or WD40. Spray the product on the stain, rub, and rinse well. For a homemade treatment, try using mayonnaise in a similar fashion. You may want to test the product you choose in a hidden area to ensure that it won´t harm the finish on your car.

Gasoline Stain Removal from Car Interior

To remove a gasoline stain from your car´s interior, treat the stain with a mixture of one teaspoon each of vinegar (to remove the odor) and mild dish detergent (to clean the stain) in a quart of warm water. Let the area dry, and if any spot remains, you may need to repeat. If this does not seem to be working, try using dry-cleaning solvent.

Skunk Odor Removal from Car Exterior

If you are unfortunate enough to encounter a skunk with your car, you can remove the odor by dissolving one cup of dry mustard in a bucket of water. Use this solution to wash your car. Use a mop to wipe the wheels and underbody, repeating if necessary.

Crayon on Upholstery

To get crayon marks off upholstery, first scrape excess crayon off with a dull-edge knife or metal spoon. Spray with WD-40 and let stand a few minutes. With a small, stiff bristle brush work crayon stain and wipe with paper towels. Respray with WD-40 and apply liquid dishwashing detergent on the sprayed area; work in with the brush and wipe stain away with a damp sponge. If stain remains, repeat the procedure.

Bumper Sticker Removal

You can remove bumper stickers by saturating them with hot vinegar, salad oil, or nail polish remover. Lighter fluid is also effective, but since it is flammable, use it with caution. If any residue remains, you can remove it with WD-40 and scrub with nylon netting or a stiff brush.

Permanent Marker Removal from Car Exterior

Permanent marker is not easy to get off a car´s exterior without damaging the paint. However, there is a product called Stoner Xenit Citrus Cleaner which claims it can do just that. I haven´t tried it, so I´d advise doing a little more research on it first.

Battery Acid Stain Removal from Car Upholstery

To remove battery acid from your car upholstery, rub a paste of baking soda and water into the spot right away, leave for two hours, then wipe off with a damp cloth. Repeat if necessary. Any remaining residue can be cleaned off with a commercial upholstery cleaner, or mix 1/2 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent in a quart of warm water. Beat with a mixer, then clean the upholstery using only the suds. Work on a small area at a time, overlapping areas to avoid spotting. Change the rinse water frequently to keep it clean. Let dry thoroughly.

Rubber Removal from Car Exterior

To remove rubber from spinning tires off of the paint on your car there are a few things you can try: 1) Try mixing equal parts of ammonia and warm water and scrub with a sponge. 2) Try rinsing your car with white vinegar, using a solution of 3 parts soft water to 1 part white vinegar, increasing the vinegar content as needed. 3) Try Goo Be Gone, Goof Off or WD40. Spray the product on the stain, rub, and rinse well. You could also try mayonnaise in a similar fashion.

Hard Water Stain Removal from Car Exterior

To remove hard water stains on your car, try rinsing your car with white vinegar, using a solution of 3 parts soft water to 1 part white vinegar, increasing the vinegar content as needed. Be careful to only wash your car in the shade, or in the evening, as the sun will dry the water quickly and cause more spots. You may also want to try using crumpled newspaper for polishing your car, as it will leave a nice shine and prevent spots. You may want to treat your car with a commercial product, such as Rain-X to stop the stains from returning.