Your headlights play a crucial role in both the appearance and functionality of your vehicle. Over time, though, those shiny lights tend to get all foggy and yellow thanks to sun exposure and grime.
Not exactly the look you want, right? It’s like your car has cataracts, and on top of killing the vibe, it’s seriously messing with your visibility, especially at night. Cloudy headlights mean you’re not seeing as far, as wide, or as bright as you should. Not ideal.
But hey, no need to spend thousands of dollars on new headlights! You can bring them back to life with a bit of elbow grease, a few basic tools, and about 1-2 hours of your time depending on how bad those headlights look.
Let’s get into it.
How to Clean Oxidized Headlights
Even your plastic Tupperware will become yellow over the years. The same holds for your plastic headlight covers. Sunlight, air pollution, and acid rain can contribute to the problem.
To keep our car in tip-top shape, we must clean oxidized aluminum parts and headlights about once a year.
When you take the time to wash your car, pay attention to your headlights. If foggy, you need a special cleaner to restore their brightness and make visibility easier.
Read about cleaning a car headlight below for headlights that look like new, not like foggy ones.
How to Clean Oxidized Headlights Using Toothpaste?
- Gather the correct materials – To clean your headlights using the toothpaste method, you will need the following: Car wax, Masking tape, Plastic or vinyl gloves (optional for those with sensitive skin), Soft cloth, Toothpaste (any kind), Water
- Start by cleaning with soap – First wash with soap and water using firm, back-and-forth movements with the cloth or sponge, then rinse with plain water. After allowing some time to air dry, look at your headlights again closely.
- Protect surrounding area with masking tape – Using masking tape, cover the areas surrounding your headlights to protect them from accidental scuffing.
- Wear gloves – Wear plastic or vinyl gloves if you have sensitive skin. Dampen a clean, soft cloth in water, and add a dab of toothpaste.
- Use toothpaste-laden cloth – Firmly rub the surface of your headlights with the toothpaste-laden cloth in small circles. Add water and toothpaste as needed, and expect to spend up to five minutes cleaning each affected light.
- Rinse – Next, rinse with water and allow to air dry.
- Apply car wax – To help protect your headlights from future damage, you may consider applying car wax to your lights using a clean cloth in a circular motion, followed by another rinse with water.
How to Clean Headlights with WD40
If you learn how to clean headlight lenses with WD40, you may never need anything else to do the job. WD40 was initially designed to work on missiles to penetrate cracks and fill them with oil. This solution does the same thing here, filling in the microscopic cracks between the oxidized parts of your headlights.
With a clean microfiber cloth and two sprays of WD 40, you can make your headlights new again. Fold the paper towel twice, and spray it twice with WD 40. That’s all you’ll need to clean plastic headlights.
Wipe it along the surface of the headlight, and you’ll see it looking like new once again. You may need to repeat the process every six months or so, as rain and other precipitation wash the oil off your car. You’ll never worry about cloudy headlights again!
While you are at it with the WD40, you might as well work on your vehicle tires with this homemade tire cleaner to get them shiny again, too.
How to Clean Headlights with Vinegar
Yes, vinegar and baking soda can clean car headlights, too. Headlight cleaning with baking soda takes advantage of the slightly abrasive compound that is a little tougher than toothpaste and is great for stubborn foggy spots.
It can remove the damage from UV light, road debris, and salt from your car headlights. Make up this paste when cleaning headlights for a beautiful shine.
Baking Powder, Soap and Vinegar Recipe to Clean Headlights
- 1 cup of baking soda
- ⅓ cup of dish soap
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
- Soft cloth
- Microfiber cloth
When used correctly, these ingredients make a mild abrasive to remove all the oxidation from your headlights. Do not use too much elbow grease, as too much effort can damage the plastic.
Place a teaspoon worth on a soft cloth, and carefully rub it on the headlight with circular motions to scrub the oxidation, Wipe with a clean microfiber cloth. You should have a clean car with spic and span headlights.
If you have glass headlights and not plastic ones, don’t worry. Glass is almost entirely non-reactive, so it’ll never oxidize or be damaged by UV rays.
This recipe is also the best homemade car window cleaner. Vinegar works to cut through dead bugs, dirt, and grime to reveal a perfectly clean window.
Sandpaper for Cleaning a Car Headlight
Cleaning a car headlight sometimes can be tricky, especially when there is oxidized build up. If nothing else has worked, you’ll have to get out a heavy-duty headlight restoration kit. You will want three different grits of sandpaper, 800, 1400, and 2500.
The lighter sandpaper will remove the oxidation, and the bigger grit will smooth out the plastic. Make sure to tape off the paint, so you don’t damage it. Start with the lower grit sandpaper and rub it in circular motions over the plastic lens.
Put some elbow grease into it to make sure all of the cloudy headlights are removed. Have a clean cloth around, so that you can wipe off the residue.Then, you have to move to the 1400 grit sandpaper to start smoothing out the headlight.
Find the rougher patches of the headlight and patiently scrub them until there is little resistance. Be careful and don’t push too hard as you might damage the headlight.Finally, do a once over with the very fine grit sandpaper, and make sure the whole thing looks new again.
If there is any surface damage, fix it this time around. If this remedy doesn’t work, consider this car headlight cleaner. With a little clear coat and wax, you’ll never know it was a yellowed headlight, or ever had a cloudy appearance and it will prevent future buildup, and prevent future oxidation.
If you or your friends are driving around with yellowed headlights, you can tell them how to make their car look shiny and new again. Or, if you aren’t entirely satisfied with the chemicals in an off the shelf cleaner, make sure to use these environmentally friendly alternatives.
Preventing Hazy Headlights
Preventive measures can save you from a lot of hassle. You must ensure proper upkeep of your car headlights to avoid fog buildup. It is crucial for your driving safety and longevity of headlights. Here is an expert to-do list to prevent hazy headlights:
Clean your car headlights regularly with a damp microfiber cloth and wash them if they are too dirty. Don’t let dirt or grime accumulate on the headlight surface, corners, and edges.
Apply a UV sealant/coating to protect against harmful UV rays. It is a magic compound that will increase your headlights’ life.
Avoid using ammonia-based cleaners on headlights. It is a harsh chemical that affects the protective layering and causes fog. Most headlight lenses are made up of plastic.
You should get a headlight cleaning kit for effective maintenance. It includes all the required products and tools.
Some best practices like parking your car in the shade, drying up headlights after washing, and polishing them from time to time can help prevent hazy headlights.
How often should I clean my headlights?
There’s no specific timeline to clean and maintain headlights. It’s good if you clean them often. The headlights are critical for your safety when driving at night time or in low-light conditions.
They become yellow or appear cloudy if not appropriately maintained. Most people disregard cleaning headlights, but it can lead to significant safety risks.
You should clean the headlights at least once a month. It prevents fog buildup and yellowing, and the headlights stay clear.
However, hazy and foggy headlights affect the visibility. The headlight beam, whether single beam or dual beam, distorts and becomes unclear. Any unclarity or reduced visibility in headlights makes driving at night difficult.
The driving conditions also come into play. If your commute is in a countryside or dusty environment, you should clean the headlights every two weeks to prevent dust and grime buildup.
During winters the snow also affects the headlight visibility and life. It accelerates the oxidation process, which causes haze. You must clean headlights more frequently in such conditions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most people don’t know about proper headlight maintenance. They use incompatible methods or techniques that lead to quick degradation.
You can explore some common mistakes that people frequently make in headlight maintenance. It will keep you from damaging the headlights or affecting their visibility. Let’s learn more;
Harmful Chemical Products for Car Headlights
The most frequent mistake people make is using harsh chemicals on car headlights. The popular quick fix is using WD-40 spray. It is highly not recommended because its chemical composition wipes out the protective layering of the headlights.
Other harsh chemicals like ammonia-based cleaners, acetone, and bug spray also affect headlight lenses adversely.
The use of abrasive materials to scrub headlights should also be avoided. It only produces scratches on the casing and does no good. If you want to polish or remove infused dirt, go for 800 grit sandpapers.
There are some popular myths, like soaking headlights in vinegar will remove yellowing. It’s just a myth and should be avoided.