The Best Car Hacks You Can Learn From TikTok — From the Very Useful to the Wild and Weird

Dirt, dust, and grime can make your car look and feel gross, but this hack is here to save the day. Here's what you'll need: get a bottle of Elmer's glue and a small jar of Tide detergent. Mix both of the ingredients in the cup holder, and watch as the mixture turns into a solid yet squishy blob. Once it's like that, you can rub it all over the hard-to-reach places in your car. It will pick up dirt, dust, and more.

ICYMI, the arrow that's next to the gas gauge on your car tells you what side the gas tank is on. This will help when you're going to get gas in an unfamiliar car. You're welcome!

If your steering wheel gets stuck, here's how you can unlock it. Put the key into the ignition, and turn the steering wheel all the way to the right (or to whatever side the ignition is on) at the same time. This will unlock the wheel after a couple seconds.

If your windshield is frozen and you don't have time to wait for it to defrost, get a baggie and fill it with hot water. Then, wipe the baggie across the windshield and notice how the ice melts beneath it.

To adjust the sun visor in a car, simply unlatch the right side of the visor from the holder, pull it out, and watch as it extends. This trick is handy when the sun is in your eyes and you need to block it while driving. Why this hack isn't more well-known is mind boggling . . .

If you haven't seen this TikTok trend, where have you been?! Car owners have discovered that some car keys have the ability to open their car's windows from afar. To try this on your own car, press "unlock," then hit "lock," then hold down the "unlock" button for a couple seconds. Then, the windows should go down.

This little-known hack about car grab handles is very useful, and easy to try. Just pull the grab handle down, push the small clip out that's attached to the handle out, and notice that instead of getting pulled back up, the grab handle stays where it is.

To clean hair out of your car, all you have to do is use a window squeegee. Wipe down the areas you want to clean and then vacuum the remaining hair up. Your work here is done!

To keep your windshield from freezing overnight, put 3/4 white vinegar and 1/4 water into a spray bottle and spray the mixture on your windshield. This will help to combat frost and ice, meaning you don't have to scrape it off in the morning.

When you put your car into park when you're on an incline, your car can roll back or jerk a bit, thus damaging the transmission. To avoid this, put your car into neutral instead. Once you're in neutral, put the emergency break on, and the car should stop. Then, put it in park. You'll avoid the awkward jerk, and your transmission will last longer.

If you're trying to wash your car at home, this trick will save you time and energy. Simply put soap inside the nozzle of the hose, attach a nozzle, and spray. The soap and water will mix, coating your whole car in soap. After a bit, the soap will run out and you'll have plain water to wash your car with.

Don't you hate it when you're getting gas and the gas cap keeps getting in the way of things? Apparently there's a hack that solves that problem in two seconds, and it looks like we aren't the only ones who just found out about it. To keep the gas cap out of the way, just unscrew the cap, pull it out from inside the car, and place it on the hook that's on the side of the gas tank's door. Yup, who knew?

If you have a little one, you know how much stuff can accumulate in the back of the car. The best way to avoid clutter is to buy a backseat organizer and place toys, food, wipes, and more right in it. You can buy items like this one on Amazon if you need it fast.

Did you just go shopping? Then this hack is for you! To keep groceries, clothes, and other things from rolling around the back seat, get a bungee cord. You're going to attach one side of the bungee cord to one side of your car, feed it through the bags, and then attach the other side of the cord to the other side of the car. This will keep the bags in place.

If your key fob isn't working or responding, you can still unlock your car. To do so, pull the key away from the inside of the fob, and use the key to pop the right side of the door handle off. You'll notice a keyhole that you put the key into to unlock the door.

If you live somewhere where it snows, you know what a hassle it is to rid your entire driveway of snow before you drive. To avoid this, park on the lower end of the driveway. This way you won't have to shovel as much snow when you go to take your car for a spin.

If you want to make your car smell good, run to your nearest Walmart and grab some of the Better Home and Gardens oil fragrances and a small spray bottle. Put the oils into the spray bottle, and spray the inside of your car. This scent will last longer than an air freshener, so enjoy!

Audi A1's have a special tool located inside each car that works as a jack stand. To find this tool, go to the trunk of your car and find a small and skinny compartment that has a little knob on it. Open it, and you'll find a bright red device. Pull it out, take it apart, and adjust it so it turns into a jack stand.

If you have a Honda and the battery dies, there's an easy way to get into the trunk. Open the car door and get in the back seat. Behind the headrest of the back seat, you'll see a small compartment with an opening that a key can fit into. Once you open the compartment, pull the lever, and the trunk will open.

If you have a newer model Mercedes, this hack will blow your mind. Open the compartment in the middle of the driver and passenger seat, and tap the back of the device located on the console — it will lock the car.

Don't waste time or money getting a new key fob — simply change out the battery with this hack. All you have to do is take the key out of the fob, pop open the fob, take out the battery, and put a new one in. Done and done.

If you're handing your 2020 Traverse off to someone and want to keep your valuables locked away, use this hack to open a secret compartment. What you're going to do is press the button on the far right of your car next to the fast-forward button. This will open the compartment. Press it again to close it. Then, go to settings and hit "valet mode" and type in a four-digit code of your choosing and hit "lock." To unlock it, just type your code back in, and your car will go back to normal.

Welp, rice has done it again. Not only can it save iPhones after water damage, but it can also absorb water in the air of a car so the windshield doesn't freeze. Commenters on this post also noted that you can fill a sock with cat litter to achieve the same results.

If you have a newer Mercedes Benz model, you were probably given a fob-like key to start your car with a push-to-start button. If you don't want to use that button and would rather put your key into the ignition, here's what you can do. First, take off the push-to-start button by pulling it out. Once the button is out, put the key in the ignition and turn. A commenter also noted that this hack works for Chrysler Minivans.

If you have a Honda Civic, you might have noticed that there's a small tab by the back of the farthest cup holder. Pull this tab, and you'll see that you can cover the cup holders, meaning you have room to put your phone, wallet, and more right there.

If you want to lock or unlock your car but you're too far away, people swear by this funky hack. Just put your keys under your mouth, open your mouth, and click the button. This should lock/unlock your far from a distance.

If you get cold easily, then this tip is for you! This electric blanket from Amazon is only 21 bucks, and it'll keep you warm if your car's heater just doesn't cut it. Plug the cord into your car's auxiliary power outlet, and enjoy warmth in minutes.

Listen up, Fiat 500 owners! There's a compartment under the passenger seat that opens up and holds a fire extinguisher and has extra storage space. To open it, simply pull up on the bottom of the seat and pull it out. The seat will open, and this newfound space can be used to store anything you need.

It's tough to drive when you can't see out of your windows, but this trusty tool on Amazon can help! Put a sheet of the waterproof car mirror protector on the mirror, let it sit, and then take it off. You'll notice that water repels away from it.

If you have a portable diffuser, this hack is for you. Instead of wasting money on air fresheners that dry out in a matter of days, put a couple sprays of perfume into a diffuser, and turn it on. Be sure not to use too much perfume as the smell can be overpowering.