How to clean headlights?

Find out some simple tips for cleaning your car’s headlight

A car’s headlights need to be cleaned regularly to maintain their condition and to guarantee that they offer the best brightness possible while driving. Headlights can dim, cloud over or become yellow with time, which can reduce their brightness and visibility. This not only lessens the car’s aesthetic appeal but also compromises the safety and the safety of other road users. Here are some quick and simple tips for headlight cleaning that can be used by anyone.

 

Headlight cleaning: Requirements

  • Water
  • Swabs or cloths made of microfiber
  • Masking tape
  • Gloves
  • Dental paste and baking powder, window cleaner, distilled vinegar, soda, and car polish
  • A sealant or wax

 

Headlight cleaning: With toothpaste

Toothpaste is an easy way to clear the headlights of fog. The headlights will look brand new after using the toothpaste’s mildly abrasive composition to remove buildup and grime. 

 

Steps 

  • The headlights should be thoroughly cleaned with soap from the standard car-washing supplies before you let them air dry.
  • Use masking tape to cover the area around your headlights to shield the paint and plastic components of the car from the moderately abrasive toothpaste.
  • Apply a small amount of toothpaste to a damp cleaning cloth while wearing disposable gloves.
  • Apply toothpaste and small amounts of water as you vigorously rub each headlamp. To get the desired result, give each light roughly five minutes.
  • Before buffing each headlight with a second clean cloth, rinse each headlight with clean water and allow it to air dry.
  • To protect and maintain the clarity of the headlights for a longer period, apply a small amount of vehicle wax to them.

Source: Pinterest (ehow)

 

Headlight cleaning: With vinegar and baking soda

Baking soda and vinegar, two items that are typically found in homes, are used in another popular headlight cleaning technique. When the headlights are severely cloudy, this approach is a wonderful choice. The baking soda and vinegar technique is very inexpensive and friendly to the environment.

 

Steps 

  • Wash the headlights with water and vehicle wash soap using a clean towel. Before going on to the following step, let them air dry for a short while.
  • In a clean container, add two parts of distilled white vinegar and one component of baking soda and shake the mixture.
  • Spend a few minutes on each headlamp after dipping one of the microfiber cleaning cloths in the solution. If more cleaning solution is required, add it.
  • Cleanly rinse the headlights, then let them air dry. Repeat the preceding method as necessary, always washing your headlights after each time the liquid is applied.

 

Headlight cleaning: With window cleaner and car polish

A valuable and effective product for cleaning foggy headlights is a window or glass cleaner. Ammonia-free versions of many glass cleaners are available and are just as effective on your headlights. 

 

Steps 

  • With the use of soap from the standard car-washing equipment, thoroughly clean your headlights. Before moving on to the following step, let them air dry for a short while.
  • To protect the paint and plastic components of the car, tape the region around the headlights.
  • Put on disposable gloves and dip a microfiber cleaning cloth into the window cleaner. To get the desired result, rub each headlamp firmly for around five minutes per light.
  • Before buffing each headlight with a second clean cloth, rinse each headlight with clean water and allow it to air dry.
  • To protect and maintain the clarity of your headlights, apply a little amount of auto polish to them.

Source: Pinterest (BobVila.com)

 

How to keep your headlights from clouding?

The headlights fog up and become cloudy due to oxidation, which can happen for a variety of reasons. Your car’s exterior, especially its headlights, is impacted by UV rays as well as particles like dirt, gravel, sand, and other substances. There are a few options to help keep the entire car clean for extended periods and stop your headlights from fogging.

 

Here are a few ways how you can maintain the headlights :

  • Finding places to park your car where there is less sunshine to minimise oxidation and clouding is the easiest way to protect the headlights from fogging up in a shorter time between cleanings. This could be a parking garage or an outdoor space with lots of shade. 
  • Consider buying a car cover if you frequently park outside in an area with limited shade. In addition to protecting the car’s exterior from the weather when it is parked, car coverings will keep the car’s headlights clean.

 

FAQs

How often should headlights be cleaned?

Aim for cleaning every few months to ensure optimal light output and drive safety.

How to maintain them after cleaning?

Reapply a protective coating regularly for prolonged clarity.

How to clean water spots?

Apply vinegar or water and vinegar mix, and wipe and raise.

How to clean oxidised headlights?

Sand, polish, and apply a UV-resistant coating for lasting clarity.

Is sunlight damaging to headlights?

Yes, UV rays can cause fading; use a protective coat to counteract.

 

Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com

 

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