5 AUTO TIPS THAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE MACGYVER

Car ownership is one of life’s first great responsibilities, and among its most rewarding. When you’re constantly attentive to your car’s needs, you can extend its lifespan and overall health significantly. And while you should be making regular appointments with our Service Center here at Abeloff GMC, everyday maintenance issues arise that make repeated trips to the dealership unsustainable.

Thankfully, there are ways to routinely support your car from the comfort of your own home. Don’t worry about breaking the bank – everything you need can most likely be found in your kitchen and bathroom closets. Remember television’s MacGyver, who was able to inventively transform household items to get out of sticky situations? Following these five tips won’t have you diffusing bombs with paper clips, but your car will thank you all the same.

VINEGAR IS THE BEST WAY TO DE-ICE YOUR WINDSHIELD IN THE MORNING. 

Anyone who’s spent time in the Stroudsburg area knows how tedious starting your commute can be in the frosty early hours of a winter day. Sometimes you’ll be greeted to an especially egregious layer of frost or ice on your windshield, and the thawing process takes several minutes, leaving both you and your morning routine out in the cold.

Refrain from seemingly hastier solutions such as applying hot water, as doing so harms your windshield’s health in the long run. Instead, try using a mixture of one cup lukewarm water and one cup white vinegar. The white vinegar cuts through dirt, oil, and other gunk, eliminating windshield haze. Maximize your visibility by remembering to clean the inside of the windshield in addition to the exterior.

TOOTHPASTE IS AN EFFECTIVE HEADLIGHT CLEANER 

Just as brushing your teeth doesn’t damage the enamel, cleaning dirty or foggy areas from your headlights with the help of toothpaste is both harmless and effective. Depending on how dire the condition of your headlights is, a stronger option may be needed – but before you commit extra cash to a processed chemical, try the toothpaste method, making sure to gently rinse the headlight area down with water and a rag afterwards.

Baking soda, a similarly abrasive material, can also handle the job in a pinch if you don’t have toothpaste handy. But… you should probably have toothpaste handy.

USE NAIL POLISH TO PREVENT CRACKS FROM GROWING 

When your windshield takes any sort of minimal impact, the surface damage may not appear initially alarming. It’s disconcerting when your brand new GMC Sierra takes a hit from a stray pebble on the highway, but if it leaves only a minor blemish, surely crisis has been avoided? Unfortunately, minor chips and nicks can schism into long cracks that take over the surface of your windshield, leading to costly windshield repair. 

Before those cracks can metastasize, simply apply nail polish to the cracked area. Nail polish acts as an adhesive that helps keep the cracks minimal and contained. If you have the right color on hand, it can do so without causing any cosmetic change – which is why nail polish also functions as a great scratch remover when you’re dealing with blemishes in your paint.

USE A PLUNGER TO REMOVE DENTS 

As with small cracks and scratches, there’s no reason to book it to your local garage the moment minor dents materialize on your car. In fact, most small dents can be eliminated in less time than it takes to unclog toilet – and with the same instrument too! Simply stick a plunger on the dented area, pull back, and watch as the plunger’s suction pops the dented area of the panel back in place.  

If you require further instruction, see this video, where these guys appear delightfully surprised by the outcome.

DUST THE INTERIOR WITH COFFEE FILTERS 

The lint-free material of coffee filters is perfect for wiping down your dashboard, infotainment console, and other parts of your car’s interior. Coffee filters are inexpensive and are generally sold in bulk, allowing you to thoroughly reach every cranny and crevice. Lint, crumbs, and other materials gradually build up in your car’s interior; keeping a pack of coffee filters handy in your glove compartment can help combat this. If the task still leaves you exhausted… perhaps consider brewing a cup of joe?

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 

There you have it – five easy, inexpensive ways to keep your car happy and healthy. If you’re short on any of the materials you’ll need, consider a trip to Stroudsburg’s Monroe Farmers Market – an ideal Fall destination regardless with Thanksgiving approaching.

And as always, we’re here at Abeloff GMC to help keep you on the road. When your maintenance job becomes too large to handle on your own, schedule a service appointment with Monroe County’s most trusted dealership.