Cleaning Your Headlights: What to Use and Why

A vehicle’s headlights are extremely important. Not only do they light your way when it’s dark, but they allow pedestrians and other drivers on the road to see you easily. It’s important to make sure that your headlights are in good working order, and part of that is making sure that they are clean and clear.  Here are some of the best ways to clean your headlights.

Toothpaste

That paste that makes your teeth shine will do the same for your headlights. You can even use a toothbrush to apply it if you want. Simply squirt some on your headlight, splash on some water, and get scrubbing. You can remove a surprising amount of grit from your headlights with the same stuff you use in your mouth. Also, try to use a paste and not a gel. The pastes generally work better.

Rain-X and Wax

Although this method works best if you can do it before your headlights get all kinds of dirt and grime on them, it does a good job of keeping your headlights clear. Simply spray on some Rain-X or another kind of automotive wax, and your headlights won’t get too nasty in the first place.

Headlight Restoration Kits

If you don’t feel comfortable putting toothpaste on your car—even though there’s nothing wrong with it and it works well—you can buy a kit specifically designed to restore your headlights to their original beauty. The kit usually comes with some fine sandpaper or rough cloth to get rid of and dirt and grime. There’s also some kind of sealant or wax that you apply after you remove all of the stuff clouding up your headlights. There are a number of brands that offer several kits for different prices.

The top-of-the-line kit is the Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit. It runs a little over twenty dollars, but it does the best job of clearing your headlights of grime and keeping them clean once the stuff is removed. In addition to the Sylvania kit, there are kits from 3M, Turtle Wax, Fast Brite Auto, and many more. The latter three are generally less expensive but don’t always work as well.

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