How to Clean Car Headlights

Clean your headlights at home with masking tape, a damp cloth, and toothpaste. Simply scrub the headlights, rinse, and wax.
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Carrie Adkins
Car upkeep and maintenance extends beyond frequent oil changes and trips to the car wash. To keep your car in top shape, you need to pay attention to many different components of vehicle care. You should be aware of standard maintenance issues, fluid levels, and tire pressure, as well as keeping your car clean inside and out.
The front of any vehicle needs particular attention because of all the road debris, bugs, and weather conditions that can adversely affect it. Drivers should be considerate of keeping their vehicle’s headlights clean and clear so that they can function at the highest level.
Most headlights are made of a type of polycarbonate plastic that can take on a cloudy appearance over time. This plastic is tough and durable, but it does require some cleaning and polishing, especially after years of wear. It can be extremely costly to replace the headlight covers, so it’s a much more reasonable option to improve their appearance by cleaning them.
Cleaning a vehicle’s headlights at home is a simple process that anyone can do. Step 1 suggests washing the car before you focus on the headlights, Step 2 describes how to tape off the headlights, Step 3 recommends using toothpaste to clean the cloudiness, Step 4 tells you how to rinse, Step 5 suggests checking your work as you go, and Step 6 explains how to apply wax to protect the headlights.

Part 1 of 1: How to clean your car headlights

Materials Needed
  • Bucket
  • Cloth or rag
  • Masking tape
  • Sponges
  • Toothpaste
  • Wax
Step 1: Wash the entire car. Whether you prefer an automatic car wash or a manual one at home, it’s a good idea to wash your car thoroughly before you plan to clean the headlights.
Remove any dirt or debris, paying close attention to the area around the headlights.
If you wash your car away from home or where you will be cleaning the headlights, be careful to ensure that the front of the car is still clean when you continue on to the next step.
Step 2: Tape off the headlights. Using painter’s masking tape, securely tape off the area around each headlight.
Be sure to carefully cover any chrome pieces to protect them from the abrasive materials and scrubbing motions.
Step 3: Clean the headlights using toothpaste. To get the headlights back to a clear, shiny state, you will be using a mild abrasive (toothpaste). Use a soft, damp cloth and a dab of toothpaste to buff out the cloudiness on each headlight.
Rub in small circles while applying pressure. Add more water and toothpaste as needed to go over the entire surface. Spend at least five minutes on each headlight and move slowly to thoroughly clean the area.
Step 4: Rinse the headlights. Rinse each headlight with water and allow to dry completely.
Step 5: Check your progress. Depending on the extent of the damage to your headlights, you might need to put in a bit more work to get them clean.
Once the headlights are dry, inspect them to see if the cloudiness has cleared.
Repeat the above steps if necessary.
Step 6: Coat headlights with car wax. In order to protect the headlights from future damage coat them in a layer of car wax.
Apply the wax with a clean cloth using circular motions. Rinse with water when finished.
These steps should work for the most common cloudiness that affects vehicle headlights. For more serious damage, you might need to utilize a stronger solution. Like all vehicle issues, it’s important to find the right tool or product for the job. Similarly, you should also always have the right insurance provider for the job, and go with a company that you trust. Jerry helps you compare car insurance policies while getting offering real advice and unearthing the lowest rates. They can even help you make a switch if you don’t feel like your provider is getting the job done.
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