Debunking 5 so-called household remedies for car-cleaning

A common household hack for giving dulled headlights back their sparkle is to rub toothpaste on them. It doesn’t always impress car inspectors, though. — CHRISTIN CLOSE/dpa

Newspaper, oven spray, toothpaste and spirits: plenty of household materials can be used to spruce up an old car. Only they come with big drawbacks, if you ask the experts. Try any of these common household cleaning tips and you’ll only make things worse.

For instance: Don’t waste your money on that expensive car polish. A bit of toothpaste will do the trick. Tips like these are traded all too often between motorists.