How to Clean Foggy Headlights

Over the course of time, it’s easy for headlights to get foggy, which reduces how bright they are on the road. Foggy headlights refract the light making it harder for them to cut through and assist the driver. There are a lot of urban legends out there when it comes to cleaning your headlights, especially with what materials and sprays you should use. While there are plenty of specially made headlight cleaners out there, we think you can do the job just as well with items around the house. Skeptical? Just wait and see, you might be surprised by the results!

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

For this procedure you’re going to need masking tape, a few rags, a sponge, some dish soap, and toothpaste. Once you have all these gathered, move onto step 2.

Step 2: Pre-Wash

Before you get started with the actual headlight, wash the headlights and the surrounding area with normal soap and water. This will ensure that dirt and other things stay off the headlight while you clear out the fog. Don’t forget to dry it off before you get started on the next step.

Step 3: Section Off The Headlight

While none of the materials we are using will be harmful to the paint of your car, it’s always better to play it safe, and it makes cleanup a little easier at the end. Here we are going to use masking tape to outline the headlight and protect the paint on all the corners. It doesn’t need to be perfect, and it shouldn’t take too long. Feel free to use as many or as little pieces of tape as you need. Once you’re done, feel free to move onto step 4!

Step 4: Apply The Toothpaste

Apply a medium sized dab of toothpaste to a wet rag and begin rubbing it into the headlight. The mild abrasive properties of the toothpaste will help clear the outer fog from the headlight. Work in circular motions for a few minutes on each headlight until you get the level of clarity you want. Continue to add water and toothpaste as needed.

Step 4: Rinse & Remove Tape

Once your headlights are clear, you can rinse off the toothpaste with a hose, or a fresh rag. As an extra step, you can add some headlight wax to fill in any cracks and smoothe out the surface, but it isn’t a necessity. Once you’re done you can remove the tape and you’ll be ready to go!