Car Detail Tips on Cleaning Headlights
You’re driving back home at night when you suddenly realize that you’re having a difficult time seeing the road. There’s barely any light to guide you, even though you have your headlights on. You wonder whether your car’s headlight bulbs need to be replaced, and you think back to the last time you purchased new bulbs. However, when you get home and check on the lights, you realize that the problem isn’t the bulbs at all; the problem is the grimy headlights. Then, in the morning, you start to really see how dirty the headlights are. The outer plastic has yellowed from regular contact with UV rays, and the entire area is just hazy. So how do you clean the headlights effectively without spending tons of money? Is there any hope of making the headlights shine? Of course! Here’s a few car detail tips on cleaning your headlights with regular household products:
Important Tools
It’s important to have a few necessary tools prior to cleaning your headlights. You’ll need, first and foremost, a microfiber cloth. We’ve witnessed many people cleaning their headlights with all sorts of rags, towels, and sponges, but those are not good tools. Regular towels and rags can be tough on glass and plastic. Thus, when people rely on them to clean off the headlights, they allow them to scratch at the surface, making matters worse. Therefore, it is imperative that you purchase a microfiber cloth; it is soft and safe on cars. Plus, microfiber cloths are very cheap, and you can find them almost anywhere. You will also need a small bucket or a foam cup for some of our cleaning methods.
Washing the Headlights
Before we get down to the nitty-gritty of cleaning a car’s headlights, our first car detail tip is to wash the headlights properly. With a car cleaner and a microfiber cloth, scrub the headlights so that any recent dirt can come off. This will make the next steps easier. Then, use water to remove any residue.
Toothpaste
Now, our first method for cleaning your headlights is to use toothpaste. Everyone has toothpaste in his/her house, and if they don’t, they really, really should go to the store and purchase one. You will need to apply a decent amount of the paste onto your headlights, and then simply scrub the area with a microfiber cloth. You will find yourself scrubbing until the surface feels smooth; that’s when you’ll know the plastic is clean. Just be careful not to use a toothpaste that can scratch, such as any paste with cooling crystals. At the end, you can rinse the area with water and a dry microfiber cloth.
Baking Soda
This is another method you can use that is just as effective, if not more, as the toothpaste. You will need your microfiber cloth here as well. You will need to wet the cloth a bit with warm water and then add a dash of baking soda to the cloth. Then, you will scrub the headlights with the cloth. Just like with the toothpaste, you will know when the headlights are clean when the surface becomes smooth and you have an easy time scrubbing the area.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Our last car detail tip and method is to combine baking soda with vinegar. The two substances react together and practically eat away at the grime on your headlights. What you’ll need to do is take a small bucket or a foam cup and add a couple of dashes of baking soda. Next, you will pour approximately seven tablespoons of vinegar, or enough to clean both headlights, into the cup. Then, you will dab your microfiber cloth in the cup and use the cloth to scrub out the dirt over the headlights. You will most likely find this method to be the most effective and the quickest to work.
In no time, your headlights will be sparkling clean like they used to when you first purchased your car. With just these few car detail tips and methods, you’ll save money on cleaning your headlights and have an easier time viewing the road.
As professional car detailers, we also suggest one of our car detailing services. We are currently offering 10% off all of our detailing services.
