(NC)-Running the car through a service station car wash can add a lot more money to your gasoline bill every week - and it's a cost that seems totally unnecessary in summer. In fact, many car buffs have far more fun doing it themselves, insisting on a clean-and shine-regimen of their own.

No wonder.

Consider all the new fangled cleaning tools available now. One example is the advance-tech, hand-held system that cleans a car thoroughly, spot-free and with absolutely no hand drying. The AutoDry Pro-Series Carwash by Mr. Clean uses a special soap formula with an innovative water filter, plus a jet action spray that is five times more powerful than the rinse spray setting. This tool is ideal for motorcycles, boats, RVs - and for household windows too. Here are a few more do-it-yourself car cleaning tips, courtesy of Mr. Clean:

1. If your windshield blurs when you turn the wipers on, dampen a cloth with some full-strength white vinegar and run it down the full length of each blade once or twice.


2. To get rid of stale odours from your car's interior use Febreze Fabric Refresher on seats, floorboards and even in the trunk.


3. Dust the car interior thoroughly. To make it a breeze around all the nooks and crannies, put any one of your Swiffer Dusters to work.


4. Use a spray cleaner formulated for all hard surfaces, including windows and mirrors. For example, the antibacterial multi-surfaces spray by Mr. Clean, does many jobs at once. It cuts grease without a film; makes all glass, mirror and chrome sparkle, streak free; and it kills germs on contact too.

For stubborn stains and scuffs use one of the Magic Eraser pads. There's a Magic Eraser marked "extra strength" and a new one now that foams on contact with water. These pads are nifty for getting into the grooves and gaps of the car interior, and they can also make the wheels and hubcaps shiny and new.