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Did you know there's a reason
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professional detailers never show you
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what's actually in their cleaning kits?
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It's because they'll easily charge you
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$100 for a job that costs about $2 in
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supplies. Most people assume their car
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is just too old to ever look brand new
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again, but it's actually just missing a
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few simple secrets you can handle in
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your own driveway right now. It is
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honestly crazy how much we pay people to
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do things that we could handle ourselves
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in just a few minutes. I'm talking about
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taking a car that looks tired, dusty,
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and worn out, and making it look like it
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just rolled off the dealership lot. I've
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spent a lot of time testing these out,
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and I've narrowed it down to the five
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best ways to give your ride a total
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makeover for practically 0.
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The first thing that really ruins the
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look of a car is foggy yellow
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headlights. It doesn't matter how clean
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the rest of the body is. If the lights
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are cloudy, the whole car looks old and
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neglected. Detailers won't tell you this
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because they charge $50 to $100 for
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restoration, but you can do it for
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pennies. I was watching a video recently
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about 15 genius car cleaning hacks. And
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while they had some good ideas, the
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absolute best way to fix this is just
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using regular Vaseline. Start by
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cleaning the headlight with some basic
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soap and water to get all the road grime
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off. Once it's dry, grab a small tub of
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Vaseline. Take a little bit on a soft,
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clean cloth and start rubbing it into
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the plastic using firm circular motions.
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Now, to be real with you, this isn't a
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permanent factory fix, but for dull,
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faded lights, it works surprisingly well
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and makes them look clear almost
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instantly. The Vaseline fills in all
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those microscopic cracks and scratches
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in the plastic that make it look cloudy.
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It also creates a little barrier that
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helps protect the plastic from the sun,
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so it stays clear for a lot longer.
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Next, let's talk about those annoying
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light scratches on your paint. We've all
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seen them. Those thin white marks that
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show up when the sun hits your car just
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right, usually around the door handles
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or the trunk. You don't need a
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professional power polisher to fix
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these. All you really need is a tube of
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plain white toothpaste. Just make sure
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it's the basic white paste, not the gel
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kind. Toothpaste is actually a very mild
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abrasive, which means it works exactly
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like the expensive polishing compounds
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the pros use. Put a dab of the
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toothpaste on a damp microfiber cloth
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and rub it directly over the scratch.
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You want to use a bit of pressure and
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keep moving your hand in circles. Now,
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here is the reality check. If the
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scratch is deep enough that your
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fingernail catches in it, this won't
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work. But for light surface swirls, it's
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amazing. As you work it in, you're very
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gently sanding down the clear coat until
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it's level again. Wipe the area clean
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with a dry towel, and that scratch will
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basically disappear. Here's the thing
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most people don't realize. They see a
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mark and think their paint is ruined and
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needs a full respray. But about 80% of
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the time, it's just surface damage that
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hasn't even touched the base color. The
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third trick is for anyone who is tired
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of seeing streaks on their windows.
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Detailers love selling you $15 specialty
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glass cleaners, but the real secret is
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white vinegar. Mix about half vinegar
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and half water in a spray bottle. But
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here's the most important part. Don't
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use a cloth or a paper towel to wipe it
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off. Instead, grab a piece of old
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newspaper and crumple it into a ball.
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The texture of the newspaper is just
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rough enough to scrub away the grime
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without scratching the glass, and the
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ink in the paper actually helps polish
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the surface. The vinegar cuts through
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any grease on the glass. And because
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you're using newspaper, there's no lint
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left behind. Your windows will be so
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clear that you'll honestly forget
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they're even there. Now, let's move to
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the inside of the car, specifically your
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cup holders. We all know they always end
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up sticky because of a spilled drink,
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and cleaning those deep, tight spaces is
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a total nightmare. Here is a simple way
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to make sure you never have to scrub
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them again. Once you have them clean one
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last time, buy some silicone cupcake
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liners. They are super cheap and they
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fit perfectly into almost any car's cup
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holder. If you spill something, you just
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pop the liner out, rinse it in your
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kitchen sink, and put it back in. It's a
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tiny change that saves you so much
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frustration later on. Finally, we're
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going under the hood. A lot of people
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are scared to touch their engine, but
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cleaning it is one of the best secret
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car detailing tips for keeping your
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car's value high. A clean engine isn't
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just for looks. It actually makes it way
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easier to see if you have a new oil leak
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starting. Detailers often charge $150
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for an engine bay detail, but you can do
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it for the cost of a $5 bottle of
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all-purpose degreaser. Make sure the
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engine is completely cool. Then cover up
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your battery and your alternator with a
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couple of plastic grocery bags just to
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be safe. Spray the degreaser all over
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the engine bay and let it sit for about
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5 minutes. Then take a regular garden
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hose and very gently rinse it down.
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Don't use a high-pressure sprayer
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because you don't want to force water
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into the electrical plugs. Once you're
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done, take the plastic bags off, start
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the engine, and let it run for 10
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minutes. The heat from the engine will
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dry everything up, and you'll be left
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with a motor that looks like it just
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came from the factory. Keeping your car
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in top shape doesn't have to be
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expensive. If you found these tips
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helpful, do me a huge favor. Hit that
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like button and subscribe to the
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channel. It really helps me out. This is
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Car Justify. Thanks for watching and
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I'll see you in the next one.
