Cleaning foggy headlights could be very easy with the proper information. Keeping your car’s paint job and windshield in good shape requires preventative maintenance. So if you’ve been feeling like you’re blinded by your headlights, listen up: I’m going to show you how to clean those things.
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Wash your headlights with bug and tar remover
If you drive at night, you know that the headlights on your car can get foggy and hard to see through. The headlights on your car are designed to reflect light back at the source, in this case, the road but when they’re covered in a layer of dirt and grease from road debris, it’s harder for them to do their job.
Fortunately, cleaning your headlights isn’t difficult. You don’t have to go through an auto shop or pay someone else to do it; you can clean them yourself with some basic supplies.
You can buy a bug and tar remover at any auto parts store or hardware store. These products are specially formulated to remove dirt, bug guts, and other road-related grime from your vehicle’s exterior surfaces. Follow the directions on the bottle carefully; if it says not to use on chrome, don’t use it on chrome.
Rub with bug sponge
Cleaning foggy headlights is a little tricky. If you’re not careful, you can scratch the paint or worse, damage the reflective surface of the headlamp.
Clean your foggy headlights by first determining what type of lens you have. Most cars since the 1990s have plastic lenses that you can clean with soap and water. If your headlights are older or if it’s been years since they’ve been cleaned, use a bug sponge to remove dirt, dust and other debris from the headlight lenses before you start cleaning them with soap and water.
If your vehicle has halogen bulbs in its headlights, wipe down the glass with water only, don’t spray anything directly onto it as this may cause damage to the bulb itself.
Spray the headlights with glass cleaner
Cleaning your car is one of the most effective ways to keep it looking great. It also helps you spot any damage or wear in time for repairs before it gets worse.
It’s important to clean your headlights because they’re one of the most highly visible parts of your car. If they’re dirty and foggy, they’ll make it hard for other drivers to see you coming. That can be dangerous, especially at night and in bad weather.
Regularly cleaning your headlights helps prevent this problem. Here’s how:
Spray the headlights with glass cleaner and wipe them with a paper towel or microfiber cloth until they are completely dry. If you have wire-brush wiper blades on your car, use them to clear away excess grime before cleaning with glass cleaner. Then rinse the headlight again with water and dry it off with a paper towel or microfiber cloth.
Apply a polishing compound
Cleaning foggy headlights is a simple process, but it requires some elbow grease.
If your headlights are dull, it’s time to polish them up. Follow these steps:
- Clean the headlight covers with a glass cleaner. Avoid using abrasive materials like paper towels or sponges that can scratch the plastic.
- Apply a polishing compound to your headlights if they have deep scratches or cracks that you want to buff out.
- Use a clean cotton cloth to apply the compound evenly over the surface of the headlight cover and rub gently until it’s removed.
- Buff out any remaining residue with another clean cotton cloth and then wipe off any excess polish with a dry one.
- Wash your car thoroughly before polishing your headlights so that they are free of dirt and grime that might get caught in the polish while you’re working on them.
Use sandpaper
- Use sandpaper to remove any oxidation on your headlights. If you have a power drill, use it to polish the headlights.
- If you don’t have a power drill, rub the headlights with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.
- Mix equal parts of water and ammonia in a bowl and dip an old toothbrush into the solution.
- Use the toothbrush to scrub away any grime that has accumulated on your headlight covers (the plastic or metal covers over your headlights).
- Rinse off the headlight covers with water and let them dry completely before using them again.
Finish cleaning your headlights
If you have foggy headlights, then you can clean them with a few simple steps.
- First, you need to remove any dirt or grime from the headlight. You can use a commercial cleaner or water, but glass cleaner works well.
- Next, spray the glass with a small amount of water and let it sit for a few minutes. This will help break up any oil or grease on the headlight.
- Now use a soft cloth to wipe down your headlights until they are clean and clear of all grime.
- Finish cleaning your headlights by spraying more glass cleaner and wiping them clean.
Sunlight and oxidation
If your headlights have turned yellow or hazy, or oxidation has made them cloudy, it may be time to clean them. This can be a simple process that doesn’t require any special tools or chemicals.
Here’s how to do it:
- Use a wet cloth to wipe away any dirt and debris from the lens.
- Mix equal parts water and rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and use this mixture to spray the surface of the headlight lens. This will loosen up any remaining dirt without damaging it.
- Use another clean, wet cloth to wipe off any excess dirt from the lens surface after spraying it with the alcohol solution.
Conclusion
The first method for cleaning foggy headlights is to polish them. This involves polishing the surface of the headlight in order to remove any buildup from the lens. This is best done with a good organic polish which will restore the lights shine and be safe for the car. For this you need a sponge, polish, some rags and a few other things.