Whether you’ve just got your first car or are a more experienced driver, we guarantee you’ll learn something new from these unusual 10 driver hacks. These useful hacks will save you time, money and improve certain features of your car.
Pull out dents with a plunger
Think that toilet plungers are only good for one thing? Well, think again! Here’s a little money-saving hack for drivers – you can use a plunger to try and fix any dents on the surface of your car. Fixing a dent can be expensive, so why not try this trick first with an affordable toilet plunger.
One of our driving instructors in London recently had a small dent in his vehicle from a lesson. Before getting it fixed professionally he thought he would give this little trick a go and it worked wonders fixing the dent!
The petrol cap side
Have you ever been waiting to get petrol, and suddenly you can’t remember which side your petrol cap is on? There’s nothing worse than getting out of the car and realising your petrol cap is on the other side, you either have to try and stretch the hose across or queue up again. With this little hack, you’ll never forget which side it’s on again. If you look on your dashboard where the petrol pump icon is, you’ll notice there is a small arrow next to the pump. The arrow points to whichever side the petrol tank is located. You’re welcome!
Traffic lights hack
If you’re in a rush to get somewhere, you might think that driving over the speed limit is the best way to cut downtime. However, not only is driving over the speed limit dangerous and not to mention illegal, but you’re also more likely to hit every red light on route to your destination. Traffic lights are designed to allow drivers who stick to the speed limit to hit green lights more often. So not only is sticking to the speed limit safer for everyone on the roads, you’re more likely to arrive at your destination on time too.
Freshen up with fabric sheets
This cheap and easy trick will help to keep your car smelling fresh at all times. Tumble dryer sheets or fabric sheets are great for keeping your car smelling nice and can be purchased for a couple of pounds in your local supermarket. Just place one sheet underneath each seat in your car, and the odour from the sheets will keep the air in your car nice and fresh.
Never lose your car parking again
We’ve all lost our cars in a parking lot at one point or another, walking around with heavy shopping bags trying to find your car is not ideal. One way you can stop yourself from forgetting where you’ve parked is by taking a picture of your surroundings when you park up. There might be something memorable or easily noticeable nearby where you’ve parked, or even better, the car park may have a numbered grid system, if so take a picture of the location or write it in your phone.
Keep cup holders clean
Whether you use it for your morning coffee or to hold general bits and bobs, cup holders are one of the most convenient and most used features in your car; therefore, they get dirty easily. Instead of having to wipe down and hoover your cup holders every few days, you can use these car cup holder coasters. The coasters will stop the interior of your car from getting dirty and sticky, and you can take them out every few days to clear away any debris and give them a wipe down. They also add a nice feature to your car; you can get patterned coasters, light up ones or just plain black if you’d prefer. If you’re interested in more ways to jazz up your car, take a look at our best car accessories to buy after passing your driving test.
Make use of the seat warmer
If you’re lucky enough to have a sear warmer in your car, make sure you make the most of it. Your seat warmer is not only good for keeping your bottom warm in the winter, but you can also use it to keep your food warm on the way home. Nobody likes cold takeaway pizza, utilise your seat warmer to keep the chill off your takeaway.
DIY de-icer
As the cold winter mornings become a more frequent visitor, de-icing your car is something you’ll likely have to factor into your morning routine. If you’ve run out of deicer spray and don’t have time to wait for the car heater to kick in and start melting the ice, you can make your own deicer simply with vinegar and water. Just mix some vinegar and water together in a spray bottle (or jug if you don’t have a spray bottle handy) and apply it over the windscreen and windows, the ice will quickly melt away, and you’ll be good to go. For more advice, see our driving in the winter tips.
Car cleaning putty
Clean those hard to get to spots in your car like the air vents and tiny gaps with car cleaning putty. You can get car cleaning putty or ‘goo’ online or in a car shop such as Halfords and is extremely effective for removing dust from hard to reach places in your car.
Get more petrol
Everyone tries to be as quick as possible when filling up their car with petrol; it’s not exactly the most exciting experience. However, if you take your time and fill up at a slower rate, you can get more bang for your buck. By holding the pump at 50% instead of squeezing it all the way, you will let in less air and thus get more petrol.
