Use toothpaste to clean headlights.
Toothpaste can clean foggy headlights on your car almost as well as expensive products that claim to do the same thing.
Properly adjust your mirrors.
Many accidents could be avoided if everyone had their car side and rearview mirrors positioned correctly, eliminating blind spots and making it easier to change lanes quickly. This illustration from Car and Driver shows how your car mirrors should be positioned.
The recommendations for how your mirrors should be adjusted come from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE):
The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin's rearview mirror. This can be disorienting for drivers used to seeing the flanks of their own car in the side mirrors. But when correctly positioned, the mirrors negate a car's blind spots. This obviates the need to glance over your shoulder to safely change lanes as well as the need for an expensive blind-spot warning system.
Tie up your phone.
In your car wrap a rubber band through your air vent to hold your phone in place. This is especially useful if you are using a GPS app. This works with any kind of phone.
Fast food fix.
Keep your kids from making a mess on fast-food runs with this dollar-store staple.
Make a trash can.
Keep your car clean by using a cereal container as a trash can.
What side is the tank on?
If you look at the little gas indicator on your dashboard, you should see a tiny arrow next to it. That arrow actually points to the gas tank side of your car
Quickly tell what side of the highway your exit is on.
Cool down a car without air conditioning.
Roll down one window, and open and close the door on the other side five to six times. The hot air escapes through the door you're opening and closing, while the cool air enters through the window on the other side.
Stash those tissues.
A reusable coffee mug Makes a To-go Coffee Cup Tissue Pop-up
Use your chin to increase the range of your remote car door opener.
Organize stuff for a buck.
Use a shoe organizer from the dollar store to organize all your travel supplies.
Professional windshield repair can be costly. Those looking for a do-it-yourself windshield sealant will find a temporary solution in the cosmetics aisle. Fingernail polish serves as an adhesive that can be used to help prevent cracks from spreading.
Plunge (small) problems away.
If you have small dents in your car, just push a plunger firmly against it and pull out to see your car go mostly back to normal in just a few seconds.
Clean with a coffee filter.
Coffee Filters are cheap, and you can buy huge packages of them at the dollar store. Even if you don't brew drip, you can use them for other things, like keeping the interior of your car clean and free of lint, splatters, and stains.
