{"id":618,"date":"2019-05-01T13:52:45","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T13:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/?p=618"},"modified":"2019-07-11T17:37:27","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T17:37:27","slug":"diy-how-to-keep-your-headlights-shiny-and-bright","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/618\/diy-how-to-keep-your-headlights-shiny-and-bright\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY: How to Keep Your Headlights Shiny and Bright"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you&#8217;re driving at night and you can&#8217;t see the road ahead of you, it might be time to clean your headlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve just driven through a swarm of mosquitos, it might be time to clean your headlights.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If approaching cars keep flashing their brights at you, it might be time to clean your headlights.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cleaning your headlights is considered routine maintenance on a car. Here&#8217;s how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Toothpaste Method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Believe it or not, you can clean your headlights with one household item that everyone has &#8212; or at least we hope they have &#8212; toothpaste!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know, it sounds crazy, but don&#8217;t knock it til you&#8217;ve tried it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you start, run your hand over the headlight. If the light is bumpy and you can see spots on the external glass, then&nbsp;find the extra toothpaste tube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the headlight is smooth, the fogginess is coming from the inside which a different issue that toothpaste can&#8217;t fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What You&#8217;ll Need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll need to do a quick at-home headlight fix:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Toothpaste (make sure it&#8217;s actual paste and not gel)<\/li><li>Baking soda (add to the toothpaste to make it a bit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bestdentistguide.com\/non-abrasive-toothpaste\/\">more abrasive<\/a>)<\/li><li>Toothbrush<\/li><li>Water<\/li><li>Spray bottle<\/li><li>Wax<\/li><li>Cloth<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>Scrub Away<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rub the paste onto the headlight then start scrubbing with the toothbrush. The older and more yellow the headlight is, the more elbow grease you&#8217;ll need to use. You may also have to repeat a few times to get it clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spray some water onto the headlight and wipe clean. Make sure the headlight is completely dry, then apply the wax onto the headlight to prevent it from getting dirty again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Sandpaper Method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the toothpaste method doesn&#8217;t do the trick, you may need to step up your game and get serious about cleaning your headlights.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What You&#8217;ll Need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Wet\/dry sandpaper of 1000, 2000, and 3000 grit<\/li><li>Polishing compound<\/li><li>Paste Wax<\/li><li>UV sealant<\/li><li>Blue painter&#8217;s tape<\/li><li>Microfiber towels<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, instead of taking the time to gather up all the tools, you can buy headlight cleaning kits. These kits will make sure you have the <a href=\"https:\/\/bestheadlightbulbs.com\/brightest-headlights-2\/\">brightest headlights<\/a> on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Get Cleaning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you start, give your headlights a good scrubbing with car soap and water. Also, wash the surrounding area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the painter&#8217;s tape to completely block off the headlight from the rest of the car.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start with the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowes.com\/projects\/woodworking-and-crafts\/sandpaper-buying-guide\/project\">abrasive sandpaper<\/a>. Wet the sandpaper and headlight, then sand in straight horizontal strokes. Makes sure to keep the surface wet and sand in the same direction, this will prevent any scratching.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Repeat the process with the less abrasive sandpaper, but change the direction of the strokes. If you used horizontal strokes the first time around, sand diagonally the second time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use a hose or spray bottle to ensure the paper and the headlight stay wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Polish, Wax, and Seal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Wipe off and dry the headlights. Squeeze some of the polishing compound onto a clean microfiber towel and rub the polish in for a few minutes using a circular motion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the lens is clear again, you can wax it. Wax the glass like you would a car. This will thoroughly clean and protect the lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last step is the UV sealant. You&#8217;ll need to apply a new protective layer since we sanded off the old sealant. This will prevent the lens from getting cloudy all over again.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apply the sealant with wet paper towels and sweep in broad strokes. Generally, you&#8217;ll only need one layer, but be sure to follow the directions on the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your headlights are still cloudy, you may need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/592\/4-tips-for-installing-new-led-headlights\/\">replace them<\/a> entirely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Clear Headlights Mean Safer Driving<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your headlights are cloudy, don&#8217;t wait to clean them. It&#8217;s easier than you think and you will have bright headlights again in no time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while you&#8217;re at it, come check out all our other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/category\/diy-auto-repair\/\">DIY tips<\/a> for fixing your car in the comfort of your garage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re driving at night and you can&#8217;t see the road ahead of you, it might be time to clean your headlights. If you&#8217;ve just driven through a swarm of mosquitos, it might be time to clean your headlights.&nbsp; If approaching cars keep flashing their <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theusautorepair.com\/Auto-Repair-Help\/618\/diy-how-to-keep-your-headlights-shiny-and-bright\/\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,71],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.2.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>DIY: How to Keep Your Headlights Shiny and Bright<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If your headlights are cloudy you can fix them yourself. 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