So you want to clean your car's headlights? Well, you’ve come to the right place as your headlight lenses may have gone yellowy over time, become fogged or filthy, or might have found new purpose as a terrarium for indigenous worms and insects.
Luckily, The Drive’s crack How-To department is here to help get those lights luminous once again. Driving with crappy headlight lenses isn’t just unsafe for you, tootling along in the inky blackness of night, but also for others on the road. Restoring your headlights to fresh-from-the-factory clear is also one of the easiest ways to make your aging ride look like new.
The bottom line is your lenses need a good polishing, and here's how to do it.
Estimated Time Needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Skill Level: Beginner
Vehicle System: Lighting
How mad would you be if we went through all of this just to tell you to make sure you hit the lights with some soap and water during the next wash? While trolling can be funny, that sort of content has very little value to you. Thankfully, that's not what we're talking about.
We're talking about how you can get headlights with some mileage on them looking as good as new. You know, the hazy, faded housings your buddies always knock you for? We'll walk you through how you can put their hazing behind you.
Working on your car can be messy, especially when you’re cleaning surfaces you’ve never bothered to clean before—hello, bug-splattered headlight lenses—so here’s exactly what you’ll need to ensure you don’t die, get maimed, or lose a finger and that you keep your jeans, shirt, and skin spotless—hopefully.
We’re not psychic, nor are we snooping through your toolbox or garage, so here’s exactly what you’ll need to get the job done.
You’ll also need a flat surface, such as a garage floor, driveway, or street parking that’s also well-ventilated. Check your local laws to make sure you’re not violating any codes when using the street because we aren’t getting your ride out of the clink.
Organizing your tools and gear so everything is easily reachable will save precious minutes waiting for your handy-dandy child or four-legged helper to bring you the sandpaper or blowtorch. (You won't need a blowtorch for this job. Please don’t have your kid hand you a blowtorch—Ed.)
You’ll also need a flat workspace, such as a garage floor, driveway, or street parking. Check your local laws to make sure you’re not violating any codes when using the street because we aren’t getting your ride out of the clink.
Let’s do this!
You’re done!
The Drive asked RJ de Vera, Global Customer Engagement Leader at Meguiar's, for tips on the best methods and products to use while cleaning your car's headlights.
We always make sure to include a video here so you can get a better feel for the steps we've discussed. In this situation, we also see this as a great way to give you a look at one of the more popular systems on the market. This way, you can see the product in action while preparing to take it on yourself. The clip below is from RainX and highlights its Premium Headlight Restoration kit. Even if that's not the product you'll use, it's still a solid source of information regarding the process.
You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers!
A: There are videos of people successfully combating headlight haze with baking soda and vinegar, toothpaste and other home-brewed elixirs. While it's not fair to say that they don't work, you will have better results using a dedicated headlight restoration kit.
A: No, you shouldn't use WD-40 to clean your headlights. It may make them shiny, but that's really not what it's meant for. You will also leave oily residue behind when you use it.
A: While they aren't common, there are laws against driving with faded headlights, and you can get pulled over and fined for it in some parts of the country. Even if these rules aren't in place where you live, you should still do your part and make sure your headlights are clear.
A: You may see moderate improvements when using toothpaste to clean your headlights. That's because there are light abrasives in toothpaste that can help polish the lights. Just like the baking soda and vinegar solution, though, the results won't be as good as they will be with a dedicated kit.
A: Yes, it is worth cleaning your headlights. They will fade with time, but the expense of new headlight assemblies vastly outweighs the cost of a restoration kit and a few minutes of your time.
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