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Your headlights are one of the most important safety features on your car – without them, driving at night or in poor visibility is dangerous and nearly impossible.
Over time, your car headlights can become dim or foggy, so it’s crucial for your safety to restore them to full working condition as soon as possible. Luckily, this is a quick job you can easily do yourself. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to check your headlights, including when to clean and when to replace them, as well as the steps to clean your headlights at home.
Explore our range of quality car detailing products to get your car headlights sparkling bright and road-safe in no time.
What’s Included In This Article?
How To Check Headlight Yellowing
Before you get stuck into cleaning, it’s best to double-check what you’re dealing with, as yellowing headlights could be the result of anything from a bit of grime to a dimming bulb. Here’s how to tell them apart:
Feel The Headlight Casing
Run your hand over the surface of the headlight. If the plastic feels rough or gritty, that means the yellowing is on the outside.
Check The Inside
If the headlight feels smooth, the yellowing is on the inside, caused by possible condensation or a failing bulb. If you suspect you might be dealing with headlight condensation issues, try following our expert tips on how to solve your condensation problem first before forking out for a new replacement headlight.
When To Replace Or Clean Your Headlights
Once you’ve looked over your headlights, you’ll need to work out what your next steps are based on their condition. If the yellowing or fogginess is on the outside and the casing feels rough to the touch, you’ll only need to clean the headlights.
You’ll need to potentially replace both the headlight and bulbs if the yellowing is on the inside, there’s moisture inside, cleaning hasn’t improved things, or the bulbs have reached the end of their lifespan.
You can test the bulbs with our simple guide to checking your car lights, and if visibility is seriously reduced, it’s time to replace them. Make sure to always replace both headlamp bulbs at the same time to keep your headlight beams balanced.
Tools You’ll Need
To get started with properly cleaning your headlights, you’ll need a few basic tools. For a DIY clean with household bits, grab:
Old toothbrush
Microfibre cloth
Sponge
Warm water
Masking tape
Car wax or sealant
Whitening toothpaste, baking soda, white vinegar, cola or sandpaper (based on your preference or what you have in)
If you want to use a dedicated headlight restoration kit, you’ll need:
How To Clean Your Headlights With A Restoration Kit
If your headlights need more than a surface clean, a dedicated headlight restoration kit is well worth it, as it’s designed specifically for the job and includes everything you need. Browse our wide range of car detailing products to find the perfect restoration kit for your car’s needs.
Your headlights are crucial to both your safety and other road users, so if you aren’t feeling confident enough to do more than a quick clean yourself, it’s always better to get professional help at a garage.
How To Use The Abrasive-Based Restoration Kit
Follow these steps if you’re using a kit that includes sandpaper or abrasive discs:
Clean the headlight with car shampoo and leave it to dry completely
Tape the surrounding paintwork with masking tape
If a pre-treatment solution has been included in your kit, apply it at this point
Sand using the drill attachments or sandpapers, starting with the lowest grit number and working up to the highest. Keep your movement smooth and even, and avoid pressing too hard
Apply the polishing compound to finish
Repeat these steps on the second headlight
How To Use A Clean and Coat Restoration Kit
Follow these steps if you’re using a kit that includes a chemical cleaning solution:
Apply the cleaning solution to the headlight surface
Wipe clean with a damp cloth and allow it to dry fully
Apply the coating solution evenly across the headlight and leave it to dry for 3-5 minutes, repeating this process for a second coat
Repeat each of these steps on the second headlight
Whichever kit you use, always follow the manufacturer's instructions, as steps can vary slightly between different products.
How To Clean Your Headlights With Household Products
You can clean your headlights with things you already have at home, for a quick, cheap fix that makes a real difference.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste - particularly whitening toothpaste - is mildly abrasive and can gently remove some of the surface grime and oxidation from headlights.
Apply a generous amount of toothpaste directly to the headlight
Work it in using a toothbrush or soft cloth; it will start to darken as it lifts the grime
Leave it to dry
Gently wash it off with some warm water
Baking Soda
Baking soda makes a slightly stronger paste than toothpaste alone and works well on mild to moderate yellowing.
Mix baking soda with a small amount of warm water to form a paste
Apply liberally with a sponge
Rub in circular motions, working it into the headlight
Rinse away with warm water
Sandpaper
This sounds like a more intense solution, but if toothpaste or baking soda haven’t lifted the fogginess, sandpaper will be a more effective option. The trick is to use light sandpaper to gently lift away grime, rather than scratch your headlight casing.
Tape off the paintwork around the headlight to prevent any damage
Wet your headlight thoroughly
Wet 400-grit sandpaper and begin sanding evenly and smoothly. Apply gentle pressure and check as you go to make sure you’re not damaging your headlights
Move up to 600-grit sandpaper and repeat the process
Wipe clean and apply car wax if you want to seal the headlight
White Vinegar
This method takes a little more time and effort but can be a very effective cleaner.
Remove the headlight lenses from your car
Submerge them in a container of white vinegar
Leave them in the vinegar for around an hour
Scrub with a sponge to remove any dirt and rinse
Refit the headlight lenses
Cola
Cola is more of a quick surface clean than a proper restoration treatment, but it’s still useful for a quick freshen up if it’s all you have.
Spray the cola directly onto the headlights, or soak a sponge in the cola and apply
Leave it to sit on the surface for five minutes
Rinse off with warm water
As with all these methods, you may need to repeat the process a few times to see a significant improvement.
FAQs
How Do I Prevent My Headlights From Yellowing?
There are several things you can do to keep your headlights brighter for longer. Regularly cleaning your car and headlights will keep dirt and grime from building up. You should also frequently check the seals and for cracks in your headlight lenses to stop water from getting in. Parking in the shade where you can will avoid harmful UV rays from speeding up oxidation.
Does WD-40 Work On Headlights?
Whilst WD-40 can temporarily clear up your headlights, it’s not a long-lasting solution. For a proper fix that will remove any fogginess or oxidisation, try a headlight restoration kit instead.