Headlight cleaning - how to care for car covers?

The purity and transparency of car headlights is not only a matter of aesthetics, but also an important safety feature. Dull or dirty lampshades do not transmit light in accordance with the factory parameters. How to take care of them, clean them properly?

Cleaning car headlights - is it worth it?

In most modern cars, headlight lenses fade after about 10 years of use. This depends on many factors, including the vehicle's mileage, where it was stored (exposure to sunlight), or any damage (such as a leak). Dim or dirty headlights do not properly transmit the light emitted by incandescent lamps. The result may be too weak or scattered light beam. Often the headlights also shine at the wrong angle, blinding other road users. Luckily, there are ways to bring your headlights back to near-factory condition.

There are several methods for cleaning car headlights that we can use if their condition allows. Large cracks or damage to the fasteners may mean that the only possible solution is to replace the headlights with new ones. In today's automotive market, we can easily find replacement headlights for most car models. However, if cleaning is possible, it is worth doing. How to do it?

Ways to clean car headlights

There are many ways to care for headlights - some are more effective, others are less effective. There are chemicals on the market specifically for cleaning headlights, but there are also many so-called cleaning methods. home methods. It is worth noting that you can clean both the outer surface of the shades and their inner part.  

Headlight cleaning from the inside

Washing the headlights from the inside requires their (at least partial) disassembly from the car. Before cleaning, be sure to unplug the headlamp from the power source. It is best to do this before unscrewing the lampshade. In some car models, getting inside the headlight will be difficult due to access to the screws and fasteners. In some places, you will also need to remove a layer of adhesive or special pads, which may not be reusable.

However, when we manage to get inside the lampshade, we will start by degreasing its surface. You can use a special detergent or even plain water with dishwashing detergent. Cleaning is best done with a soft microfiber cloth or sponge. Particular attention should be paid to reflectors. These are fragile items that can be easily damaged. You can try to wash them, it is best to use a chemical preparation that is safe for chrome surfaces. After spraying the product on the reflector, gently wipe it with a cloth. Having finished caring for the inside of the lampshade, it is worth checking whether our procedures have given a good effect. If the interior is still matte, polishing may be the solution.

Cleaning car headlights from the outside

In the case of most cars, a good effect is obtained after cleaning the ceiling lamps from the outside - without disassembling them. There are many ways of such cleaning and it depends only on us whether we choose a professional method right away or try to do it at home. Cleaning car headlights at home is a cheap solution, but not always effective.

A fairly popular solution is WD-40 headlight cleaning. It is a popular multifunctional penetrating and lubricating agent found in almost every home or garage. Due to its composition, WD-40 is good at removing plaque on plastic. It is enough to spray the preparation on a rag or sponge and clean the shade with energetic circular movements.

Another home method is cleaning the headlights with toothpaste. Here, too, we clean the surface of the lampshade in a circular motion, rubbing the paste strongly, for several to several minutes. Rinse off the paste with clean water when finished.

Some drivers also clean their headlights with baking soda mixed with water mixed with lemon. The corrosive properties of this solution remove plaque well. However, you should be careful not to splatter the plastic parts of the body with soda paint.

Unfortunately, home headlight cleaning methods often do not give satisfactory results, and after using them, the headlights dim again in a short time. Chemical cleaning of headlights using special preparations is a much more effective solution. Among other things, special pastes and liquids for headlight regeneration are available on the market, and even entire sets that, in addition to cleaning agents, also contain, for example, polishing accessories and additional protective agents or polishing the surface of the reflector.

How to effectively clean the headlights?

Each headlight cleaner must be used in accordance with the instructions provided. If this is a kit consisting of several preparations and accessories, do not forget to follow the correct sequence of actions. For example, in popular sets, we can find sheets or discs of sandpaper of various gradations. The final effect depends on the order in which they are applied. Before polishing the reflector, especially if you are going to use a screwdriver with a polishing wheel on it, protect the reflector area from scratches. To do this, stick a protective tape on the hood, fender and bumper - it can be a classic masking tape.

Successful headlight polishing is half the battle. It is worth making sure that their surface does not become matte again after a short time. To do this, you can protect the lampshade with a special preparation. An interesting solution is liquid polycarbonate, i.e. the material from which the original headlights are made. In the case of the popular K2 - Vapron kit, it is applied using a special "teapot". Another example of preventing re-tarnishing of headlights is the application of a special protective coating with a sponge. For example, K2's Lamp Protect protects the surface of lampshades from yellowing and tarnishing, as well as from scratches.

Headlight cleaners are relatively inexpensive, so using them seems like a better solution than trying the so-called homemade ways.  in the Auto section.