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Clever Car Wax Hacks You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner

Who knew car wax could be so useful? Check out these brilliant ways to use car wax for more than just shining up your vehicle.

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HH Handy Hint fog free mirror car waxPhoto: Family Handyman

Get Fog-Free Mirrors

Prevent your bathroom mirror from fogging up after a hot shower with car wax. Apply a small amount of car wax to the mirror, let it dry, then buff with a soft, dry cloth. (Psst–if find yourself running low on car wax, this trick also works with shaving cream!)

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HH Car Wax Stainless steal appliances applyPhoto: Family Handyman

Make Your Appliances Smudge-Free

If you own stainless steel kitchen appliances, you may want to consider using car wax to clean them rather than a surface cleaner. Simply apply a light coat of car wax to the appliance, allow time to dry and buff clean to resist fingerprints and smudges. No more kiddy fingerprints on the fridge!

Here’s how to clean absolutely everything in your kitchen, according to Charles the Butler of CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show.

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coating snow shovel with car waxFamily Handyman

Coat Your Snow Shovel with Car Wax

Shovelling snow can be frustrating enough, but when heavy snow sticks or freezes in clumps on the shovel, it can make the job even more difficult. You can avoid this issue by first coating your shovel with car wax before heading out to clear your driveway and walking paths.

This tip works best with metal shovels: Follow the application instructions on the car wax package. Generally, car wax is applied in a thin layer using a damp cloth, allowed to dry, and then buffed off with a dry cloth. This leaves the shovel clean and lubricated, so the snow and ice won’t stick. (Psst—if you’re out of car wax, you can also use non-stick cooking spray!)

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car wax buff clean bathroom faucets with toothbrushFamily Handyman

A Scrub and a Wax

Field Editor Joe Stiles writes: “Every three months, I use CLR Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover and an old toothbrush to clean all the faucets and lavatories. Then I apply an automotive car wax like Turtle Wax and buff after the wax hazes. Our fixtures look like new.”

Here are 10 more bathroom cleaning tricks worth trying.

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HH vaseline glue lidFamily Handyman

Lubricate Your Glue Caps and Lids

Caps on certain adhesives/glues, like rubber cement and super glue, have a habit of getting stuck or glued on no matter how hard you try and keep them clean. This can be prevented by simply smearing a little coating of petroleum jelly or car wax onto the threads of the tube or lid. You just need a small dab of the petroleum jelly or wax to prevent even more of a mess. Be sure to smear a little bit on before putting the cap back on the glue and it should prevent the cap from cementing on over time. So the next time you go to use your super glue, you’ll be able to open it with ease and get right to work! You can also get the same effect by spraying a little squirt of WD-40 inside the cap.

Discover 100 more home improvement hacks that’ll save you time, money and effort.

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wax table saw surfaceFamily Handyman

Wax Your Table Saw Top

Use a scouring pad and a razor blade to polish and scrape away any deposits of glue, rust or any other residue. Next, apply a liberal coating of wax to all of the surfaces including the table, mitre gauge slots, fence and the fence guide strip. Polish the surface with a cotton cloth.

While you’re in your workshop, put these garage organization tips into practice!

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spraying rain-x inside snowthrower chuteFamily Handyman

Easy Glide Snowthrower Chute

When snow season comes around again, I like to give my snowthrower a tune-up, and that always includes spraying the inside of the chute with Rain-X or car wax. The water-repelling spray or wax keeps the chute from getting clogged with that wet, packed snow and ice. The Rain-X or turtle wax makes the chute slick, and snow slides out of the chute like it’s supposed to. I reapply Rain-X or car wax inside the chute every few snowfalls or so. — John Gossard

Now that you know how to put car wax to work, check out 25 plastic wrap hacks that’ll make your life so much easier.

The Family Handyman
Originally Published on The Family Handyman