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How to clean your car's headlamps?

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We are going to give you step by step instructions on how to clean your car’s headlamps so that they are perfectly transparent even if they have become opaque or yellowed by the sun.

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We are going to give you step by step instructions on how to clean your car’s headlamps so that they are perfectly transparent even if they have become opaque or yellowed by the sun.

Because of where they are positioned on vehicles, headlamps suffer considerably from the weather and other objects on the roads we drive on. That constant wear reduces the brightness of the light they give off. Furthermore, most of today’s modern headlamps are made from polycarbonate which oxidises in the sun and with temperature changes, causing them to become opaque and to yellow. We are going to suggest some different solutions to clean them and to leave them looking brand new.

 

How to clean your car's headlamps step by step

We are going to suggest some household remedies to clean your headlamps, such as:

 

Toothpaste:

  1. Clean the headlamps with water and a little diluted soap to remove any stubborn dirt remains from them such as mud or insects.
  2. Dry the headlamps with a soft microfibre cloth to prevent scratching them.
  3. Stick some masking tape around the entire perimeter of the headlamp to protect the surrounding paintwork.
  4. Use a cloth or your fingers to apply a layer of toothpaste all over the headlamp, rubbing it in small circles to help polish the headlamps.
  5. Leave the toothpaste to work for around five minutes.
  6. Wipe of the toothpaste with a cloth dampened with water, or glass cleaner if you prefer. If necessary, dry the headlamps and they will be like new.

 

Vinegar and baking soda:

  1. You could always try with just vinegar first. You should heat the vinegar in a glass without bringing it to the boil. Apply it to the headlamps either by spraying it on or pouring it on a cloth and then wiping it on. Allow it to work for a couple of minutes and then rinse it off with soapy water. Dry it well to bring the headlamps to a shine.
  2. If vinegar alone isn’t enough, you can add 1 or 2 spoonfuls of baking soda to the glass of vinegar. Mix it well and then wipe it on the headlamps in circular movements using a microfibre cloth. Leave it to work for a few minutes and then rinse it off with soapy water.

 

Ash paste:

  1. Gradually mix some fine ash with water to make a fairly thick paste, but not too thick. It should be easily spreadable.
  2. Apply it to the headlamps and leave it to work for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Wipe it off with a clean dry cloth, and then clean it well with a damp cloth to get rid of any remains and bring the headlamps to a shine.

If your headlamps are still not transparent enough after cleaning them with these household remedies, the problem may be on the inside, the bulb or the electrical system, in which case you will have to take your car to the workshop to have them checked and repaired if necessary.

 

How to clean your car's headlamps to pass the MoT inspection?

The main cause of cars failing their MoT is having faded headlamps, meaning that the beam of light is not strong enough, and resembles a whitish blotch. This is considered a serious flaw and the car will not pass its MoT.

This can be resolved by polishing the headlamps and cleaning them using any of the household remedies described above.

 

How to clean opaque car headlamps?

Different types of cleaning and polishing kits are available on the market today to clean opaque headlamps. They usually include a specific product to polish the headlamps, and waterproof sanding paper. Some of them even include a spray to apply a coat of lacquer at the end, which is very practical and needs to be applied after polishing the headlamps. These protective lacquers are not cleaned off afterwards. They should be applied and allowed to dry. Furthermore, these cleaning kits work very well particularly if your headlamps have yellowed.

 

How to clean your car's yellowed headlamps?

The bodywork on our vehicles can suffer considerably in spring and summer due our vehicles being exposed to the sun and high temperatures for long periods of time. The headlamps are one of the parts that are affected the most and that we tend to forget about. They yellow because they absorb a lot of solar radiation over time.

We can use the remedies described previously to clean them. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and so we are going to give you some advice to protect and prevent them from yellowing.

  • Avoid leaving your car outdoors. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but in these cases try to park somewhere there is shade.
  • Use a car cover to protect your vehicle. If you usually park outdoors or you are going to leave your car in the street for several days, you should buy a cover for your car, which in addition to protecting the headlamps, it will also protect the paintwork.
  • Take your car for regular services to keep it properly maintained.
  • Seal the headlamps using protective products after cleaning them.
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