Most of your vehicle is relatively straight forward when it comes to cleaning, but what about the headlights? Even though you wash and dry them no different than you do the rest of the vehicle, they still remain foggy. The foggy headlights not only bring down the visual appearance of your vehicle, but it can affect the strength of your lights as well.
How to Deal with Foggy Headlights
In order to best determine how to clean your foggy headlights you need to know what is causing the problem in the first place. First, it often stems from debris. Your headlights are prominent on the front of your vehicle and will collect a good amount of road debris over the months and years you own the vehicle. From the exhaust of other vehicles to dust in the air, a thin layer of gunk will eventually form on your headlights.
Exposure to UV rays often compounds the problem. Continued exposure to UV rays will remove the protective coating on your lights, which can lead to the fogging.
Cleaning Headlights
If you’ve noticed your headlights are no longer clear, instead of spending money on an expensive specialty cleaner, you can try toothpaste. Apply the toothpaste onto the headlights in a circular motion. Then, using a sponge, gently scrub. Maintain a wet surface as you scrub to avoid scratching the headlight. This should clear the lights and make them look brand-new.
Before using this method on the entire light, however, test a small area to make sure it does not scratch or otherwise damage the cover.
Creating a New Protective Coating
When you clean your headlights in this manner, the protective coating can sometimes get removed. To add a new coating, you’ll need to add a sealant; talk to an automotive expert on which type of sealant is best for your vehicle. If you forego this step, your bulbs will burn out faster and the plastic headlights will begin to stain and turn brown and yellow, which will require them to be replaced.
If your lights are needing to be replaced altogether, take your vehicle into Valley Automall’s service department. Our expert technicians will be able to replace and clean your lights, as well as check to make sure the rest of your vehicle is functioning optimally. Contact us at 702-570-2257 to schedule service today!