The Dollar Store Find DIY Auto Mechanics Swear By

Fixing up your car can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Nothing compares to the feeling of accomplishment when you turn the key, rev the engine, and realizing everything is working smoothly because you made it so. Plus, dealing with auto mechanics can be intimidating because of concerns with being overcharged.

As seasoned DIY enthusiasts well know, it's not like you need a huge budget to make significant improvements to your vehicle. Dollar stores, in particular, can be a fantastic source of affordable supplies for all sorts of DIY projects, including car maintenance and upgrades. There is, however, one product with such a stellar reputation that it almost seems too good to be true: LA's Totally Awesome Orange All-Purpose Degreaser. Made with a blend of cleaning agents, it is capable of cleaning a variety of surfaces, as the name suggests. The way it works is simple: you spray the degreaser (diluted with water, if using a concentrated form) on the surface you want to clean, wait a couple of minutes, and then wipe away the grease.

You might have already come across the famous degreaser at your local Dollar Tree or Dollar General, or even used it to clean your kitchen appliances, but there's a good reason DIY auto mechanics swear by it.

If user reviews on Amazon and Dollar Tree's website are anything to go by, there isn't a surface that LA's Totally Awesome Orange All-Purpose Degreaser cannot clean. Stoves, walls, refrigerators, garage doors, tires — you name it. Across several online platforms, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive and suggest that the famous degreaser lives up to its name and reputation. There are also dozens of YouTube videos demonstrating how effective it is at cleaning dirt, grease, and stains off wheels and other car parts. Clearly, LA's Totally Awesome Orange All-Purpose Degreaser does what it says on the tin, and it's a car cleaning tool you should have in your garage. That it might also come in handy for a variety of other DIY projects is just an added bonus.

Still, there are some downsides. The strong smell is, apparently, too much for some people, as this appears to be the most common complaint online. Another downside doesn't have much to do with the product itself: The 64-ounce bottle is selling for $14.29 on Amazon, while it costs $1.25 at Dollar Tree. This is obviously a huge price difference, but some reviewers say the shipping fees are not worth it if you order from Dollar Tree. Presumably, this also depends on where you are based and the weight of the package, so you should do your due diligence before ordering. In any case, your best bet would be to visit the local dollar store.