After getting a new car, it can be difficult to keep it in pristine condition. Bumps and scrapes can damage the exterior of the car. And on the inside, casual, day-to-day use can build up an impressive amount of dirt and grime.
Given this, it’s no surprise that the internet is filled with tips on how to keep one’s car clean. For example, one internet user showed the surprising effectiveness of using glass cleaner to clean one’s upholstery. Another showcased some of the best and worst car detailing products on the market.
TikTok user Ceith Griffith (@ceithgriffith) has shared a lot of DIY hacks for car owners. While his recent advice about using shaving cream in one’s vehicle was questionable, he’s now back with another piece of shaving cream-themed advice for your automobile.
Why does this man say you should keep shaving cream in your car?
In a video with over 134,000 views, Griffith explains why “you need to keep a bottle of shaving cream in your vehicle all year long.”
First, he says that one should put a dot of shaving cream on a rag and then rub it into their side mirrors. According to him, this will not only “clean them, getting rid of any hard water spots,” but it will also “prevent them from fogging up and keep the rain from sticking to them.”
The same applies to one’s backup camera. Simply put shaving cream on a rag, then rub it into the lens of the camera.
“It’s going to clean it and keep it from fogging up as well,” he states.
Finally, he notes that things in the interior of one’s car, such as the center console and cupholders, are notoriously difficult to clean. For this, he again recommends shaving cream.
“If you just take the shaving cream and spray all over the spots, and you want to just spread it out all over all the hard-to-get spots, and let it set for about five minutes, and then just take a rag, and you want to scrub the whole area and get rid of all the shaving cream,” he explains. After filling the area with shaving cream and cleaning it out, it does appear to be clean.
Does shaving cream really work as a cleaner?
Griffith makes three main claims in his video: that shaving cream is a good glass cleaner, that putting shaving cream on glass can prevent it from fogging up, and that one can use shaving cream to clean the interior of their car.
First, is shaving cream a good glass cleaner? According to an article in Family Handyman, the answer to that question is yes. But there’s a catch.
In a test, the author of the article cleaned two mirrors, one with shaving cream and one with Windex. While both ended up clean, she says that the “shaving cream side took three times as long” to clean, describing it as “absurdly messy.”
What about the anti-fog properties? The same Family Handyman article and others on the internet have tested this theory and found that, yes, cleaning a mirror with shaving cream will result in some anti-fog properties. However, these can be short-lived, and if one wants lasting results, they should use a dedicated anti-fog product like Rain-X.
Finally, the Daily Dot previously covered a similar tip from Griffith about using shaving cream to clean one’s car. In summary, the product should, in general, not be used on the upholstery. And while it may be effective at cleaning things like cup holders, other products like cleaning putty will likely provide a similar or better result with significantly less mess.
So, should one keep a can of shaving cream in their car? It’s up to the car owner, but there are likely better products on the market for all of the benefits it offers.
@ceithgriffith #DIY #tips #natural #tipsandtricks #cartricksandtips ♬ original sound – Ceith Griffith
The Daily Dot reached out to Griffith via TikTok direct message and comment and to Barbasol via website contact form.
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