How to Clean Your Car’s Headlights

When you think of headlight maintenance, most people just think of bulb replacement and not much else. Did you know that the quality of light coming from the bulbs can be clouded by foggy headlights?

Headlight lenses on new cars are now made up of a thick plastic material containing polycarbonates. They are way more durable than the older lenses that were made of glass, but UV rays from the sun cause the outer layers to degrade in these newer lenses. The broken down layers are prone to absorbing blue light from the bulb and can cause a yellow light beam, with reduced brightness.

You can solve this issue with two simple cleaning tips outlined below.

Vinegar And Baking Soda For Clear Headlights

Using everyday household ingredients, you can make up a cleaning mixture. You’ll need a microfiber cloth, white vinegar, baking soda and car wash soap.

• First, wash the headlights with car wash soap and water. Let them air dry.
• Mix two parts of the vinegar with one part baking soda.
• Dip a microfiber cloth into the mix and rub it onto the headlights. You should take your time doing this and can add more mixture as needed.
• Finally, rinse away the residue on your headlights with water and let them air dry. You can repeat the process as needed.

Clean Headlights Using Toothpaste

Toothpaste is mildly abrasive and perfect for this task. You will need toothpaste, car wash soap, masking tape, gloves, cloths and car wax.

• First, clean the headlights thoroughly with car wash soap and let them dry.
• Toothpaste can cause damage to the cars paint so make sure to cover all areas around your headlights with masking tape.
• Wear gloves to protect your hands and apply toothpaste onto each headlight with a damp cloth. Rub each headlight firmly in a circular motion for a couple of minutes until you get the desired effect.
• Rinse with clean water. Air dry before buffing out each headlight with a spare clean dry cloth.
• You can finally apply a little car wax to your headlights to keep them looking clear for longer.

Using either of these methods is a sure way to avoid your dim headlights being a hazard on the roads. Bad weather conditions like fog and rain can impact your visibility further, so it is always important to maintain your lights with a simple cleaning schedule.

Bring your car to MotorHaus to check your headlight health, and we can perform a full service on your vehicle today.