To get a car's headlights to shine its brightest, clean them with a paste made of baking soda, liquid soap and water.
Pat Lazzaro, a professional car racer and mechanic, provides tips on maintaining a car's exterior.
For blackwall tires, rub on a thin coat of brake fluid and wipe dry. They'll look like they just came from the tire store.
For super-clean whitewalls, spray on foaming bathroom cleaner, leave for 15 seconds, then hose off. Wet the tire and spray with an oven cleaner. Scrub the whitewall with an all-purpose cleaning brush, and rinse with a hose after a minute.
To clean dirty chrome, add two or three tablespoons of an oil soap such as Murphy's to a gallon of water for an effective cleanser.
Brass cleaner is effective for removing wax and other film from windshields. Such films can cause the wipers to work unevenly.
Periodically wipe the windshield wiper blades with ammonia to remove any wax or film from their surfaces.
A quart of water with 1/2 cup baking soda is a great solution to wash insects off the windshield and radiator or to clean the wipers. Apply with a piece of mesh onion bag wrapped around a large piece of sponge.
If using household detergent to wash a car on a hot day, be sure to rinse each section immediately. Heat dries the detergent fast and may leave a permanent streak in the paint. Add a teaspoon of an automatic dishwasher rinsing agent to the pail of rinse water to eliminate streaking. Sponge it on and let the car air dry.
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