Narrator: Keeping your car as clean as it was
when you first got it can be expensive,
especially if you're buying professional-grade products.
TikTok creators have come up with
affordable DIY hacks to achieve similar results.
We tested three to see how TikTok car-cleaning hacks
stack up against the real deal.
First up: foggy headlights.
Over time, consistent exposure to UV light
oxidizes the plastic lenses
that shield your headlights.
This creates a cloudy film.
But restoring your headlights
doesn't need to break the bank.
In fact, you may already have the ingredients
for this in your kitchen.
All you need is a lemon and some baking soda.
Simply slice the lemon in half
and cover it in baking soda.
Then rub it onto the headlight area,
working in circles.
This will remove any dirt, debris, and fading.
Afterwards, rinse the area
to remove any sticky residue.
But how does it stack up
against a typical headlight cleaner
you might pick up at an auto-parts store?
Headlight cleaners are usually around $10,
but a $20 restoration kit
will give you the best result.
I began by masking off the headlight.
Then I applied the activator with a spray bottle.
After rinsing off the activator,
I used wet 400-grit sandpaper
to start working the area.
I made sure to keep the area wet
and use light, circular strokes to prevent any scratching.
Then I wiped the headlight off
before rinsing and repeating this process
with 1,000-grit sandpaper.
At this point, I used a little bit more pressure
to refine the area.
I repeated this process one last time
with 2,000-grit to finish sanding the area.
Next, I wet the area and used a small dollop of polish
and applied it with a towel.
After applying the polish in a circular motion,
I wet the area and dried it off with a towel.
Then I applied the activator once more
and let it sit for 30 seconds.
After rinsing off and drying,
I applied the UV clear coat,
and this was where the magic happened.
I wiped the area off from top to bottom
to reveal a bright and shiny headlight.
Surprisingly, both methods
are relatively similar in their effects.
The headlights are definitely brighter and clearer,
with significantly less fading.
But if you're willing to spend
a little bit more time and money,
the restoration kit will give you
a shinier and deeper clean.
Next up: dirty cup holders,
probably the most neglected area
in the interior of your car.
This is a homemade goop shared by TikToker @daveyrz.
It can be used to pick up any residue
or food trapped in those hard-to-reach areas.
It's a mock version of the real deal
and might not cost you anything
if you already have the supplies at home.
You start off by using a hefty pour of Elmer's glue,
a splash of Pine-Sol,
and a pour of baking soda.
Mix that all together and adjust for consistency.
But how does it compare to a $7 store-bought slime?
I tested this out on two different cup holders
that were both overdue for some serious cleaning.
This TikTok car hack was very disappointing.
And even after trying again to get a better consistency,
it failed to effectively clean the area.
I found the store-bought slime
to be a bit of an improvement to the homemade slime,
although it was not able
to address this level of deep cleaning.
Neither worked better than
a good old-fashioned paper towel
or a disinfectant wipe.
It's not as gross to look at
and leaves the cup holders perfectly spotless.
Lastly, if you're a pet owner,
you are probably well aware
of how frustratingly ineffective a vacuum is
for cleaning up pet hair,
especially when it's become one with the carpet.
TikTokers like @jessicahaizman have pointed out
a really easy solution,
and you may already have it in your bathroom.
It's a pumice stone.
And this exfoliating shower tool
is also surprisingly effective for carpet detailing.
But how does a $5 pumice stone stack up against
a store-bought pet hair detailer like this one,
which I purchased for $12 on Amazon?
Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two.
Both are much more effective than a vacuum
and are able to pick up the hair fibers with ease.
Afterwards, I shook off the floor mat
because the pumice stone left behind a light layer of dust.
While both are super effective for cleaning pet hair,
the pet hair detailer was definitely a faster process.
But if you already have a pumice stone lying around,
you might as well save yourself an extra couple bucks.
Just look at this super-satisfying before and after.