How to Clean Headlights with Lemon

How to Clean Headlights with Lemon

One of the most cost-effective and easiest ways to clean your headlights is to use lemon and baking soda. These two household products have a whitening and abrasive effect that helps to remove the hazy coating that covers most headlights in older vehicles.

It’s fast and effective. All you need to do is set aside about 10 minutes to work on your headlights. You don’t have to pay someone to clean them for you or buy an expensive restoration kit. Here’s how to clean your headlights using lemon.

HOW TO CLEAN HEADLIGHTS WITH LEMON

What you’ll need:

  • Lemon
  • Baking soda
  • A bowl
  • Water
  • Microfiber towel

Method 1: Pre-mix the lemon and baking soda

  1. Start by wiping your headlights using a clean microfiber towel to remove dust and contaminants.
  2. Pour some baking soda into a bowl
  3. Cut the lemon into two equal halves
  4. Squeeze one half of the lemon into the baking soda
  5. Mix the two until you achieve a paste
  6. Apply the paste on the headlight and spread it evenly
  7. Let it sit for a few minutes. This allows the mixture to break the yellow coating down
  8. Wash the headlight with some water to remove the baking soda and lemon mixture
  9. Leave the headlight to dry or wipe it dry with a clean microfiber towel

Method 2: Use lemon and baking soda directly

  1. Cut your lemon into two halves
  2. Pour some baking soda into a bowl
  3. Take one half of the lemon and put it into the baking soda.
  4. You can squeeze the lemon a bit to allow the baking soda to stick to it
  5. Pick the lemon and apply the soda-coated juice onto each headlight.
  6. Apply moderate pressure as you move the lemon on the headlight in circular motion
  7. Work on the entire headlight until you achieve satisfactory results
  8. Pour some water onto the headlight and rinse it
  9. Leave the headlight to dry or dry it with a microfiber towel

HOW TO CLEAN HEADLIGHTS USING BAKING SODA

You can also use baking soda on its own to clean your headlights. It has a bleaching effect that helps to clear out the oxidation. Here’s how you can achieve great results using baking soda only.

  1. Pour baking soda into a bowl and add a little water. Mix baking soda with water in the ratio of 2:1
  2. Stir the mixture for a few minutes until you achieve a thick paste
  3. Use an applicator pad or microfiber cloth to apply the paste on your headlights
  4. Scrub the headlights for a few minutes without letting the paste dry. If it dries, you’ll have more work to do to remove debris and polish the headlight surface.
  5. Wash off the baking soda with water
  6. Dry the headlights with a microfiber towel or leave them to dry by themselves
  7. Repeat the process if you’re not satisfied with the results

CONCLUSION

Knowing how to clean your headlights with lemon and baking soda can help save you some money and time. If you do not have a lemon in your house, you can substitute it for an orange.

All you need to do is squeeze the orange into the baking soda as described in this article and use the paste to scrub your headlights.

It’s good to note that this method may not work for all cars. Vehicles that have been exposed to excess sunlight for a very long time may require a more intense approach such as using toothpaste or wet sanding the lens.

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