Toothpaste and baking soda can be effective cleansers for cleaning headlights. Both products are abrasive enough to take off the fog without scratching or damaging the headlights. Polishing compounds such as Rain-X might also be effective enough to remedy UV damage.
Mix toothpaste with baking soda and evenly rub it onto the headlight's surface. Let it dry, and then wipe off using a soft wet cloth. Your headlights will be clearer than before, and you'll be set for the next few night errands.
While it's become a valued household item, it's definitely not the best option for headlight restoration. In fact, many car owners oppose using it. This is because overuse could cause oil leakage into the bulbs, thereby damaging the headlamps completely.
Sand The Headlights
You'll start with a 600 grit sanding sheet. You can either dry or wet sand for the 600 grit sheet. You'll want to sand in straight horizontal lines until the foggy layer is completely removed. Headlights that are heavily oxidized may require a 400 grit sheet for more aggressive sanding.
Professionals restore headlights in much the same way you do it at home, using a headlight restore kit. First the surface of the lens is cleaned and sandpaper is worked into the lens to remove the deteriorated coating on the lens. The headlight is then washed again to remove any residue which might remain.
If you've got a particularly tough headlight lens that's caked with dirt, rubbing alcohol can be used to clean your headlights. Rubbing alcohol has the ability to remove dirt, grime, and stains from most surfaces. It can also loosen residue and loosen stubborn stains, making it useful for cleaning headlight lenses.
Hair Conditioner
We weren't surprised when this didn't work, but it did leave our headlights smelling nice! The theory behind this is that the conditioner will fill in the rough surfaces and protect the headlights with the waxes found in most conditioners.
Windex or a household glass cleaner can also do the trick. Make sure the headlights are completely dry, and then move to Step 2. Step 2. Once dry, tape off the surrounding areas near the headlights (any of the car's painted body panels that touch the headlights).
Upgrade Your Bulbs
A highly effective way to improve headlight brightness and light output enhancement is to upgrade the bulbs. There are three primary bulb types: halogen, HID (High-Intensity Discharge), and LED (Light Emitting Diode).
If you want a quick fix for cleaning foggy headlights or how to clean oxidized headlights, then the WD-40 product is a great option. However, it might not prove to be a suitable long-lasting solution for headlight restoration.
A cleaning solution of baking soda and vinegar is a great DIY option for cleaning foggy headlights. Household vinegar is effective in dissolving dirt, grease and debris. Vinegar as a cleaner is also environmentally friendly. This works best on oxidized or very cloudy headlights.
No, hydrogen peroxide would not do a damn thing. If your headlight assemblies are yellowed or hazed you will need to use a light-grade rubbing compound to reduce the haze.
Rust-Oleum Wipe New Heavy Duty Headlight Restore provides the ultimate solution to transform heavily oxidized lens covers to look new for any car, truck or automotive vehicle.