Non-toxic Cleaning Paste

Last week I had my NCT and failed on a lightbulb not working properly. I was delighted – because my car is an 04 and so getting on in age a bit. Nothing else was wrong with the old girl.

When I took it in to be fixed my mechanic brought out the machine that checks whether the lights are beaming at the right level. He tutted and said that the plastic covering on the front lights was getting dull and that the NCT guys may fail me on that. I had put the car through a proper NCT carwash so it wasn’t dirt on the lights, just ageing plastic issues.

He told me that for €60 he could buff them up beautifully, as good as new. Let me say here that he’s a good guy and wasn’t trying it on. It was going to take him a while to do.

But I decided to try cleaning them myself first.. and boy was I glad I did! I made a creamy paste with my trusty DE, knowing it has abrasive qualities, and slowly rubbed the plastic covers. After 5 mins I washed it off and boom! clean lights! Probably not quite as good as what the mechanic could have done but good enough to be driving safely at night.

Easy-to-make Diatomaceous Earth cleaning paste:

Mix Food Grade DE with water and a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to a creamy consistency like toothpaste.

This paste can be used for a variety of cleaning situations including polishing silver and cleaning greasy ovens and hobs. In fact any yucky oily problems.

And the best thing of all is that you won’t be breathing toxic fumes or pouring chemicals down the sink.