'I'm a master driver – there are five reasons I always keep bar of soap in car'
A motoring enthusiast says you should always keep a bar of soap in the car with you – and not for the reasons you may expect.
While you may assume soap would only be needed if you were caught in a motorway gridlock and needed to freshen yourself up, it actually has plenty of useful uses.
The car guru, known as Master Driver on TikTok, told their 1.3 million followers about ways the bathroom product can come in handy when you're out on the road. They said: "Why do experienced drivers keep as bar of soap in their cars? Because soap has five benefits."
READ MORE: AA share simple car rule to stop winter breakdowns
READ MORE: DWP urged to 'stop repeating’ PIP assessments for all disabled people
1. Soap eliminates bad smells
A bar of soap can act as an air freshener. Placing it in your car can help keep the interior smelling fresh. This is particularly true for heavily scented soaps.
The car lover argued: "Many people will spend money on deodorisers – but totally wrong! In fact, we only need to buy a piece of soap. Poke a few small holes in it and then put it in the car. This will not only eliminate the odour, it will also make the smell fresh."
2. Soap can be used to clear windows
If you ever find yourself needing to clean any surfaces in your car, having a bar of soap can be very handy. We'd recommend keeping a bottle of water nearby too.
Explaining one scenario where you may need this hack, the TikToker said: "When driving in the rain, water droplets can easily get on the rearview mirror. So let's take out a piece of soap. Rub it back and forth on the rearview mirror several times. Then there will be no more water droplets on the rearview mirror."
3. Soap can be used to lubricate door hinges and seals
Next, the TikToker showed how you can use soap as a lubricant. While this isn't a long-term solution, it can be really handy as a quick fix.
Demonstrating the method, they said: "When you open the car door, the door will make a creaking sound. So, we take out a piece of soap and apply on the door limiter a few times. Listen – the abnormal sound of the car door will disappear."
4. Soap can stop car whistling sounds
The fourth technique is pretty similar – but this time it involves stopping the annoying whistling sound that can occur when you're driving down the motorway.
'Master Driver' advised: "Fourth, when we are driving on the highway, the car door makes a whistling sound. Actually, it is because the rubber strip lacks lubrication. We apply soap on the rubber strip a few times and the noise will disappear."
5. Soap can be used to clear foggy glass
Rubbing a dry bar of soap on the inside of the windshield and then buffing it off can create a thin film that helps reduce fogging – and it's may help when your wipers aren't working properly too.
The TikToker instructed: "The wiper strip cannot clean the glass. So we lift it up and rub the rubber strip back and forth with soap. The problem is solved!"
