How to Clean Headlights with Coca Cola

Discolored headlights can greatly reduce your visibility when driving at night. They make it harder to spot obstacles, pedestrians, and other vehicles on the road. Fortunately, there are several solutions to this problem. One such solution is to clean the headlights with Coca Cola.

The yellow or foggy coating that appears on them is due to a reaction between the polycarbonate plastic lens and UV rays. It reduces the amount of light your car emits on the road. Coca Cola contains citric acid and phosphorus acid that help to eliminate the coating.

The citric acid eats away at the dirt, debris, and fog while the phosphorus acid keeps rust away from the surface. In this guide, we’ll go over ways you can use Coca Cola to clean your headlights and improve your car’s illumination.

How to clean headlights with Coca Cola

What you’ll need:

1. Coca Cola

The same Coca Cola we all consumer during lunch works just fine. However, diet coke tends to be less sticky and may be a better option. You can grab a bottle from the nearest store. If diet coke isn’t available, any other type of Coca Cola will do.

2. Microfiber towel

You’ll also need a microfiber towel. If this is not available, a sponge is also a great alternative. Both can be used to clean the surface of your headlights without causing any damages.

Cleaning headlights with Coca Cola

Step 1: Wash your headlights

The first step is to wash your headlights thoroughly to remove dirt, debris, and grime that may have gotten stuck to the lens. Use some automotive soap and water to wash away any contaminants.

If your car was recently washed, a simple wipe down may be enough. Ensure that the headlights are dry and that there’s no moisture on them before moving to the next step.

Step 2: Apply some Coca Cola

The next step is to pour some Coca Cola on your headlights. For the best results, put the coke in a spray bottle and spray it over the headlights. This prevents any of it from dripping and ruining your car’s paintjob.

Alternatively, you can soak a sponge or microfiber cloth with some coke and apply it on the headlight. Allow the liquid to sit on the headlight lens for about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Wash the headlights

Once the Coca Cola has had enough time to eat away at the contaminants, wipe it off using a clean microfiber towel. Some varieties of coke can stain your headlights. Wash away the stain with automotive soap and water.

This will help remove the coke and any contaminants that may still be stuck to the headlights. Once done, you should have clear plastic lenses that allow more light to pass through. Repeat the entire process as many times as you can to achieve the desired results.

Advantages of using Coca Cola to clean your headlights

1. Versatile

Coca-Cola is a versatile product that can be used in different ways. In addition to cleaning headlights, it can also be used to clean tiles, metal surfaces, and alloys. The citric acid offers several cleaning functions.

2. Easily accessible

Coca Cola has been around since 1892. It’s a product that can be found almost anywhere in the world. It’s easily accessible at every supermarket or grocery store and is also affordable compared to other cleaning solutions.

3. Clears rust

The phosphorus acid in Coca Cola helps to remove rust from metals and provides protection against re-rusting. It reacts with the metal to create a barrier that keeps corrosion away.

Disadvantages of using Coca Cola to clean your headlights

1. Difficult to wash off

Coca Cola that has a high sugar content tends to be sticky. As such, it can stain your headlights and make it difficult to wash it off. Diet coke is usually less messy and is the best alternative.

2. Can damage headlights

Due to the high acidic content, Coca Cola can damage the plastic lens on your headlights. This is especially if it is used repeatedly to remove the fog and discoloration. Use only a small amount of coke when cleaning your headlights

3. Not meant for cleaning

Coca-Cola is produced for consumption and not as a cleaning agent. Therefore, it may sometimes appear wasteful to use it for cleaning purposes at home.

Conclusion

Despite Coca Cola’s ability to clean your headlights when they turn hazy and foggy, it’s not always the best product to use. It works well for ceramic surfaces and some metals, but not so much for polycarbonate plastics.

It’s advisable to go for a better alternative, such as a headlight restoration kit. Restoration kits provide long-lasting results and are designed not to damage your headlights. Some also provide a protective feature that keeps the headlights from yellowing again.