A Light in the Fog: A Quick Guide on How to Clean Foggy Headlights

Did you know that dirty and foggy headlights can decrease the output of light up to 95 percent? This is dangerous because foggy headlights can make it harder for you to see when you’re driving at night which may lead to an accident.

Fortunately, cleaning your headlights is something that you can accomplish yourself easily if you know what you’re doing.

Here’s a quick guide on how to clean foggy headlights.

Maintaining Your Headlights

Whenever you start seeing that your headlights aren’t as bright as they once were, take time to inspect them.

Basically, the strong UV rays from the sun will eventually degrade the surface layers of the thick polycarbonate plastic that make up your headlights.

This will cause your headlights to turn a yellowish color and become foggy. That’s when you’ll need to perform some maintenance on them to help fix the issue.

The Supplies You’ll Need for the Job

Cleaning your headlights will require you to gather a few items that you can find at your local automotive store.

• Rags
• Microfiber Cloths
• Baking Soda, toothpaste, or a headlight cleaning kit
• A large soft-bristled brush
• Rinsing water
• A spray bottle
• Cleanser
• Gloves

Depending on what you want to use and invest in, you can use either toothpaste, baking soda, or a professional headlight cleaning kit.

You can also see page for more ideas for how to have safe, and bright lights while driving at night.

How to Clean Foggy Headlights

Step one is to clean the lights. For this, you’ll need to use the cleansing solution to coat the headlight then wipe off any dirt, bugs, or grime sitting on the surface.

Make sure to completely dry off the surface of the headlight before moving on to the next step. A microfiber cloth can help you get the headlights really dry.

This is when you will need to apply whatever you are planning in using to restore your headlights; whether that be a baking soda and water mixture, toothpaste, or headlight restoration kit.

Apply a thick layer of paste over both headlight lenses. Let the solution sit on the headlights for 5-10 minutes or until partially dry.

Now you’ll need to take your soft-bristled brush and start removing the paste off of the headlights. Brush in a circular motion using light to mild force as you press down.

Be careful because pressing too hard into the surface of the headlight may cause some scratches to appear.

As you work the brush, you’ll see that the discoloration and fogginess of the headlights will start to diminish and reveal the clear plastic underneath.

The last step is to get off any of the dry areas of paste that didn’t come off when you were brushing. Take some water in a spray bottle and apply some to the headlight, then use a clean rag to wipe and scrub it off.

Drive Safely

Knowing how to clean foggy headlights will help you make sure that you’re driving safely and that your headlights are emitting as much light as they should be.

Certified Master Tech specializes in providing mechanic quality information and manuals for cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

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