Cheapo cheapo must have accessory

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Mon 26 Mar 2018 19:33
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - FoxyJukebox

Giving my car a recent spring clean -I have discoved the most amazing cheap car accessory which helps access difficult areas when cleaning carpets, removes reluctant dust from nooks and crannies on a dashboard, details up areas that might need a shine and even carefully helps remove grime in an engine bay. So what is this magic tool, is it available in a motorists shop at an extortionate £Price?...No-It's a toothbrush. Absolutely brilliant.

Has anybody else got any amazing cheapo cheapo accessory secrets that work wonders on cars?

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Edited by Doubleug on 26/03/2018 at 19:35

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 07:17
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - oldroverboy.

Don't forget the toothpaste...£1 or less

the clear vinegar spray £1.. or less, the baby wipes for bird poo...

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 11:06
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - nellyjak

TBH I've used a toothbrush for years now...particularly handy for cleaning up cruddy chrome car badges/logos etc and the green mould that you get when your car sits outside in all weathers..particularly in the lower window rubbers.

When the Missus finds out it's HER toothbrush, she'll be furious.!.

ORB...using toothpaste is indeed a good cheap method of buffing up headlight lenses...not as good as G3 for instance, but a good cheap stopgap.

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 11:15
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - John F

A pin. Lives in the carpet. For adjusting and cleaning washer nozzles.

A paintbrush - in one hand, vacuum nozzle in the other, for cleaning dusty dashboards and air vents.

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 12:50
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - madf

A pipecleaner.

For unblocking drain holes.

Also used in washing machines- drains round the window,

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 14:08
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - movilogo

2 funnels for £1 = one for engine oil and another for windscreen washer

a sticky mat to stick parking tickets = £1

Rear seatback covers with pockets = 2 for £10 = to prevent child kicking seatback with muddy shoes

Cornflakes jar = £2 = to use as a bin in car - fits in door cupholders

A water bottle that can be operated using one hand only = £1

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 15:04
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - badbusdriver

2 funnels for £1 = one for engine oil and another for windscreen washer

a sticky mat to stick parking tickets = £1

Rear seatback covers with pockets = 2 for £10 = to prevent child kicking seatback with muddy shoes

Cornflakes jar = £2 = to use as a bin in car - fits in door cupholders

A water bottle that can be operated using one hand only = £1

Where can you buy cornflakes in a jar?, never seen that before!

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 16:03
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - Bilboman

Heavy(ish) duty gloves (for changing a wheel or any other dirty-hands jobs)
A head-mounted torch (ditto) keeps both hands free at risk of looking like a potholer (or a plonker!)
Most important of all - Hi-viz jackets!
Strangely not yet compulsory in the UK, but in most of the continent it has to be carried inside the car and worn if the driver or a passenger exits the car on a major road, day or night. A pack of four to EN471 standard can be bought online for about a tenner. It strikes me as absolutely bonkers that everyone from a shelf stacker to a zookeeper can be seen wearing a hi-viz but drivers are free to mill about like lemmings on multi-lane highways at severe risk of death or injury. And more than a few coppers in countless episodes of "Road Wars" on night time ops to nab joyriders seem to prefer all black attire, too. Truly puzzling.

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Tue 27 Mar 2018 20:44
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - Metropolis.

Hi vis jackets are for lollypop ladies, typical European collective thinking there, no room for the rugged individual, just treat everyone as fools! Most useful cheap things I have in my car are an ancient philips screw driver, equally prehistoric adjustable spanner and a roll of gaffa tape which sit in the boot door pocket.

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Wed 28 Mar 2018 01:55
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - Bilboman

Re: gaffer tape. Glad to hear it's kept in the boot rather than in the driver's door pocket; rumour has it that it is sometimes used to muffle the source of a persistent whining sound often emanating from the area of the front and rear passenger seats, ahem.

Hi-viz jackets may or may not reduce the likelihood of an accident, but I for one would not take the risk of being anywhere near fast moving traffic without one. They probably need to be fitted with flashing LEDs to make any real difference, but some drivers are so cloth eared and tunnel-visioned they wouldn't notice an aardvark giving birth on the front seat.

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Wed 28 Mar 2018 14:10
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - alan1302

Hi vis jackets are for lollypop ladies, typical European collective thinking there, no room for the rugged individual, just treat everyone as fools!

What odd thinking. I'm assuming you think it better to stand at the side of the road on a dark night dressed in a black coat and black trousers whilst you get mowed down by a lorry? LOL

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Wed 28 Mar 2018 14:39
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - Engineer Andy

Hi vis jackets are for lollypop ladies, typical European collective thinking there, no room for the rugged individual, just treat everyone as fools!

What odd thinking. I'm assuming you think it better to stand at the side of the road on a dark night dressed in a black coat and black trousers whilst you get mowed down by a lorry? LOL

Indeed - I always take my old work HiVi when driving - very handy to keep visible if you break down, day or (especially at) night on a fast-moving road. Also very useful for the motorcyclist at night to reduce the chances of an accident for the same reasons, if if they don't look so 'cool'.

The other cheapo 'accessory' I take with me when driving is a PEN. Whilst (almost) everyone has a phone with a camera facility these days, there's no substitute for a pen and paper to write down someone's details if you have or are a witness to an accident.

My insurer also provided me with a handy little 'information booklet' (about the size of a credit card that fits into my wallet) so I can jot down the other party's details, hand over my own and it has my insurer's contact details on it too.

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Wed 28 Mar 2018 15:42
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - Andrew-T

I do use a toothbrush occasionally - especially for getting into the tricky bits of alloy wheels. For algae and greenstuff on windowsills I find a bigger stiff brush is better.

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Wed 28 Mar 2018 14:23
Cheapo cheapo must have accessory - Leif

A manual or electric toothbrush? I hold onto old brush attachments to use for cleaning purposes.

I use those wet wipes to clean the interior, Aldi and LIdl sell 'em cheap. Not sure how to clean the head lining though, I might try a wet wipe dipped in some dilute bleach, and squeezed out so it does not drip onto the seats. Not sure how to clean the carpet either, I'll probably use a stiff brush to loosen dirt, and then my battery powered Dyson hoover. (Spot the curious terminology!) And finally a wet wash.

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