Toothpaste, Baking Soda, or Restoration Kit

November 15, 2021 Stan

Do you notice your headlights just don’t illuminate the road like they used to? Are the headlights cloudy or yellowed? All modern cars have headlights with plastic lenses and replaceable bulbs installed from behind. After years in the sunlight and thousands of miles of driving, UV rays age the plastic lenses, and dirt and wind degrade and damage the surface.

Cleaning and restoring your headlights yourself, either with a homemade abrasive solution of baking soda or toothpaste or with a commercial kit, is an easy way to bring them back to like-new condition.

How to restore headlights using toothpaste or baking soda

If you don’t want to spring for a special headlight restoration kit, the common hacks of using toothpaste or baking soda paste can work to clean the lens.

Use painter’s tape (which will not harm the car’s paint) to tape paper over the paint or bodywork around the headlight. Then wash the headlight with soap and water. Scrub with a toothbrush to remove any dirt, then rinse with clean water.

For the actual headlight cleaner, you can either use toothpaste or a paste made from baking soda and water. Simply work the paste onto the headlight using a toothbrush or cleaning cloth.

Use gentle but firm circular strokes and go over the entire surface several times. Use a bit of water as you do this to keep the surface wet as you apply it. If you use baking soda, wet the cloth you’ll use to rub it into the headlight with vinegar for even more cleaning power.

The gentle abrasive qualities of toothpaste and baking soda will gently scrub away any dirt on the headlight, so use a little elbow grease to rub it in. Once thoroughly scrubbed, rinse the headlight with water. Repeat the process with more cleaning paste three to four times, rinsing with water between each application.

Finally, spray on or apply a UV protectant. The lens may be clean but you have to protect the exposed plastic lens or it will become hazy again from UV rays and wear.

How to clean headlights with a restoration kit

A person using a headlight restoration kit to clean a car's headlights

Tape around the headlights so as not to get cleaning solutions on the car’s paint.

krblokhin/Getty Images

1. Mask off the headlight. Use painter’s tape to cover the paint and bodywork around the headlight.
2. Clean off any dirt and debris. Use soapy water and a toothbrush or cloth to thoroughly clean the lens, then rinse it with water and dry it off with a cloth or paper towel.
3. Spray the supplied cleaner (sometimes called “surface activator”) over the lens. This is usually a Windex-type cleaner that will remove any dirt and oils. Some should be sprayed and left to work for 30 seconds before removing. Rinse off the cleaner with water.
4. Use the abrasive compound (and sandpaper if included). Gently work over the entire lens surface using circular motions. Use two fingers inside a cloth to apply the compound. If using sandpaper and a rubbing compound, use the compound only with the final, very fine sandpaper (3000-3500 grit).
5. Sand the lens with the sandpaper. If the kit includes sandpaper, you will probably repeat this process three times, with sandpapers of finer and finer grits. You should sand for about five minutes with each grade of sandpaper. The sandpaper must be used with water, never use it dry. Keep the sandpaper and the headlight surface wet at all times.
6. Rinse off the abrasive compound with water. Be sure to rinse off the entire surface including edges and corners. Repeat the process several times — sand over the entire surface then rinse it off. You will know when you are finished when the lens has an even, very light haze across the entire surface. It will also feel smooth to the touch. The surface will not be crystal clear until after you apply the final coating.
7. Buff the lens with the supplied cloth. Dry the lens and using the soft cloth, make firm but gentle circular motions across the entire surface.
8. Use the supplied spray cleaner (surface activator). Apply it to the lens and wait 30 seconds before wiping it off. This step ensures the lens is free of sanding debris, so the UV protectant can form a good bond with the plastic surface.
9. Use the UV protectant to coat the lens. The product must be applied evenly across the entire lens surface in a single application. Using a clean, soft cloth, soak a corner in the protectant and gently apply it to the headlight. Start at one side of the headlight lens and apply in smooth, straight strokes as you work your way across. You must do this as a single step, you cannot go over it again or do a second coat. Use enough product to coat the lens, but not so much that it drips down the surface.
10. Allow time for the protectant to dry and cure. Do not drive the car until waiting the time recommended in the kit instructions (usually one hour before touching and four to six hours for a full cure).

How often should you clean your headlights?

A red car with its headlights on driving in the snow — Clean headlights once they’re yellow or foggy.

If you notice your headlights are yellow, hazy, or foggy, or if it seems like they are not as bright at night, it’s time to clean your headlights. Depending on your location and how much you drive in the sunshine, you may start to notice issues once the car is 10 years old.

If you restore your headlights yourself with a restoration kit, you can probably go another five years before they need it again. Some kits come with a lifetime warranty, offering a replacement kit if your headlights become clouded again.

Insider’s takeaway

UV rays from the sun cause your headlights to become cloudy and hazy. Restoring them is an easy, do-it-yourself job and only takes an hour. Headlight restoration kits are available that contain everything you need to clean, restore, and protect the plastic lenses of your headlights.

Homemade remedies like using toothpaste or baking soda are also effective in cleaning the lenses, but without proper UV protection, they will become cloudy again within a few months.

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