If you like to keep a clean car, there’s nothing more frustrating than the fuzziness of an oxidized headlight. The issue with fuzzy headlights isn’t just because they aren’t visually appealing, but how it diminishes visibility during night drives. This can turn a regular drive into a dangerous one. In the past, the headlights in classic vehicles were created with glass. The headlights on modern cars have been designed with a very tough plastic called polycarbonate plastic. While this plastic is sturdy, it’s also porous. Headlights do come with a protective film, but with wear and tear, that film can become damaged. With damage, the porous material will become oxidized.
Before you attempt to clean your headlight, it’s crucial to figure out whether the oxidation happened inside or outside of the headlight. If the oxidation is outside your headlight, the instructions below are an easy tip to remove it. If the oxidation occurred on the inside of the headlight, you might be out of luck. Oxidation on the inside of a headlight should be seen by an automotive professional. They may even consider replacing it altogether.
To clean your headlight, you’ll need:
- Toothpaste made with baking soda
- A towel or rag
- Toothbrush
- Water
- Sponge
- Squeeze a quarter-sized amount of toothpaste on your towel and apply a thin layer of the toothpaste to your headlight.
- Let it sit on your headlight for about 15 minutes.
- Use the toothbrush to scrub the residue off of your headlights. You may also use your towel to give it a rougher scrub.
- Once the headlight is clean, rinse the remaining toothpaste off with water and wipe your headlight down with the sponge.
The toothpaste is a mild cleaner to help scrub away any oxidation left on your headlight. If the toothpaste didn’t remove all of the residues, you might need to invest in some glass cleaner and car polish. Glass cleaner for vehicles has ingredients that are abrasive enough to clean your headlights thoroughly.