As a driver you should make sure all the components in your car are fully functional before moving on. Headlights are a key component for the safety of drivers; they guide you and the other vehicles sharing the road. Fogged headlights in this aspect can be quite a dangerous proposition. A fogged headlight may make your car look tired but that is not the sole issue. They will restrict the amount of light that illuminates the road ahead. Luckily there are many headlight restoration kits that you can use to clear the foggy headlights. These kits can give great results. What do you need to start the cleaning session?
・Time: The complete exercise will require 30 minutes to 1 hour.
・Tools that you need: Latex gloves, buffing wheel (this is optional), some sponge and electrician’s tape.
・Materials Needed: A headlight restoring kit, some water, and newspapers.
There are many varieties of headlight restoration kits available in the market. Some are high end while others are quite affordable. One variety of kits even comes with a buffing wheel which minimizes the manual labor. Essentially, a headlight restoration kit should contain sandpaper (with varying roughness) used to remove the yellowed outer layer, abrasive compound, chemicals to clear the lens and oxidized plastic. Some of these kits have a buffing wheel that should be attached to a power drill while using. Some modern experts opine that toothpaste along with a clean cloth can also be used to clear the headlights, but why take the risks. The high end headlight restoration kits contain special UV Block Clear Coat liquid that protects the lens from future re-fogging.
There is a plastic lens covering the headlight bulbs, this item needs to be cleaned. It is the plastic lens that keeps your headlights protected from all the debris and dirt on the roads. With regular usage these lenses become clouded and scratched, at times due to dirt and sometimes due to sun exposure. Replacing these lenses often can be very expensive. So, most car owners prefer to clean these thoroughly.
When cleaning the foggy headlights the first thing required is electrician’s tape. This tape ensures that the paint around the headlights is not faded while applying the abrasive compound or scratching with sandpaper. It is easy to apply and remove after the work is done. Some extra newspapers may also be used to protect the car’s finishing. Don’t hurry through the stages.
Use the sandpaper and abrasive compound for some time. If you see no change, then apply the lubricant (that comes with certain kit) and use abrasive pads. Keep working for 10 minutes and you will find a significant improvement in the state of your headlights. Use the varying sandpapers one at a time and rub the surface again. This exercise should be continued for 15 minutes and equal stress should be given on both headlights. You will find that the sticky debris comes off easily. Once the lens is polished well, apply the UV Block Clear Coat (that is available with only a few foggy headlight restoration kits).
After you are completed with the process, the headlights will look like new. Clearing your foggy headlights with the readily available headlight restoration kits is a simple task. If you follow the above mentioned steps you are sure to get satisfying results. The headlights will gleam with high volumes of light and your car will look sharper than before.
When you are driving at night, headlights become very important. Poorly lit headlights are not good enough to signal to the other passerby. You need to have well lit and clean headlights.
