How to Clean Foggy Headlights

There are plenty of household products that you can use to clean your foggy headlights. Chances are, you probably have one or two of these products at home. Foggy headlights can be a safety hazard and can lower visibility during night driving.

The fogginess occurs when the polycarbonates on the plastic lens get exposed to too much sunlight for a long time. The outer layer of the headlight degrades and absorbs the blue light emitted by the bulb. This causes the headlights to produce a yellowish dim light.

Fortunately, it’s possible to clean your headlights and remove the hazy coating on top. The best solution is to use either a headlight cleansing kit or a household product like toothpaste or baking soda. Here’s how to clean your foggy headlights.

How to Clean Foggy Headlights Using a Cleansing kit, Toothpaste, or Baking Soda

What you’ll need:

1. Water
2. Soap
3. Gloves
4. Baking soda
5. Toothpaste
6. Cleansing kit
7. Microfiber cloths
8. Soft brush

Step 1: Clean your headlights

Before working on your headlights, you want to make sure they are clean. Start by washing them with some soap and water to remove particulates, dead bugs, gunk, debris, and dirt. Wipe them down with a clean microfiber cloth and let them dry.

Step 2: Scrub your headlights

For this step, you can either opt for toothpaste, baking soda mixed with vinegar, or a headlight restoration kit. Apply a small amount of toothpaste on the headlight and spread it using a microfiber cloth.

Scrub in circular motion until you’re satisfied that the headlight is now clean. The same chemicals that help to clean teeth in toothpaste also work for foggy headlights. Repeat the process to achieve better results.

If you’re using a headlight restoration kit, follow the steps provided with the kit. The best options include varying grits of sandpaper and polish. Pay attention not to damage your car’s paintwork as you use the sandpaper on the headlight.

With enough effort and patience, headlight restoration can produce long-lasting results. Remember to polish the plastic lens once done to protect the headlights from turning yellow again.

Finally, you can opt for a home remedy like baking soda and vinegar. The first step is to mix the two in a ratio of 1:1 and stir until you achieve a thick paste. Apply the paste on the headlight and scrub using a clean microfiber cloth. White vinegar is a good cleaning agent but tends to work better on headlights when mixed with baking soda. Allow the paste to sit on the headlights for a few minutes for it to break down the foggy film.

Step 3: Rinse your headlights

Once you’re done removing the hazy and yellow coating using your preferred choice of cleanser, rinse your headlights. It’s important not to leave any toothpaste or baking soda and vinegar on your headlights as this can create a hazy film. The process of removing dry solution on your headlights can be challenging and time-consuming.

Can you restore headlights with toothpaste?

You can restore your headlights with toothpaste. The best type is that which contains baking soda or peroxide. It comes with a whitening effect and more grit than non-whitening toothpaste. Remember to pick the paste type and not the gel.

The former is thicker and helps to remove dirt and debris from the headlights. If you opt for gel-type toothpaste, chose the one that comes with microbeads. These scrub the headlight plastic well enough to remove the fogginess.

How long do you let toothpaste sit on headlights?

Allow the toothpaste to sit on your headlights for about a minute. This allows the chemicals to eat away at the yellow film that’s on top of the headlight. Do this after scrubbing the toothpaste on the headlight for a while. It should take you about 10 minutes to work on each headlight depending on how hazy they are.

Conclusion

As seen above, it’s easy to clean foggy headlights using simple household items like baking soda, vinegar, and toothpaste. If you want something that achieves results that last longer, a headlight restoration kit is a good alternative. These options provide a more affordable option than taking your car to a body shop or having to replace the headlight cover.