Weak light? How to clean your car headlights properly
Road dirt, road salt, solar radiation: your car headlights can withstand a lot. At some point, it will be time for a thorough cleaning. If you have the know-how, it’s effortless. In this article, we read about How To Clean Headlights?
Cleaning car headlights – that’s quick.
No matter how often you drive your vehicle into the car wash: At some point, you will notice that the headlight covers are dull, and the brightness decreases. Try cleaning your car headlights thoroughly before spending a lot of money on new lamps and surfaces or even thinking about a complete replacement.
In the more recent vehicle models, the headlight covers are almost always made of plastic. So be extra careful when removing tar stains or other contaminants. So use mild detergents to clean your car headlights, do not scratch the surface with a knife or other sharp-edged tools, and use a clean cloth suitable for plastic surfaces. You can also effortlessly get rid of coarse dirt on the car headlights in the car wash or the wash box next to the gas station.
You wash your car, e.g., B. on private property; would you prefer yourself? This is great and cheap with a few drops of washing-up liquid, e.g., B . Pril original, in lukewarm water. If you see coarse dirt on the car headlights, start cleaning there. But: never wipe dry! This is very likely to cause scratches which over time will yellow and dull the headlights. Rinse the headlights with plenty of water and use a soft brush instead of a rag. Once the last grain of dirt has been removed, dry the cover thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.
If you drive an older model with glass headlights, you are well-advised to clean your car headlights with a commercially available glass cleaner such as Sadolin 3in1 Multi-Surfaces. Spray some of it on the meticulously cleaned car headlights and polish dry. With it, you impregnate the glass surface, which protects against quick re-soiling.
I am cleaning car headlights – avoiding expensive mistakes.
Just drove past a construction site, and it happened: Your car headlights got some tar or bitumen splatters. Annoying? Yes. Real Problem? No!
- Remove tar or bitumen: splashes from headlights You can get tar and bitumen stains from your headlights with grease. Butter is a tried and tested home remedy – also for bodywork, rims, and other components. Lubricate the affected areas generously and allow the fat to soak in. After a while, wipe it with a soft cloth and be amazed: the stain is gone!
Of course, you can also get special cleaners for car headlights in stores; you can usually save money. Unless you’re dealing with exceptionally stubborn stains – it’s worth a try.
Stay away from these home remedies for cleaning car headlights!
Keep your fingers off most of the supposedly great household tips. Because instead of cleaning your car headlights, in the best-case scenario, you will be annoyed about unsuitable results or maybe even cause damage that will cost you dearly at the latest by the next TÜV inspection. We’ve put some of these tips under the microscope for you:
- Petrol: This is a great way to remove tar and other stains. However, this cleaning almost always results in dull spots on your car headlights.
- Oven spray: Recommended for removing stubborn dirt from metal parts such as the rims (e.g., Bref Power oven & grill ), but not a good choice for cleaning car headlights or other plastic parts. Some ingredients are corrosive, which can lead to dull spots on plastic.
Soda, Cola & Co:
- If you browse the Internet for a while, you will encounter some very questionable tips for cleaning car headlights. But regardless of whether it is citric acid, baking soda, baking powder, cola, or toothpaste: Before you try to clean your car headlights, take a critical look at the ingredients. Then you will see for yourself that these supposed miracle cures are far too aggressive for plastic surfaces or contain small particles with an abrasive effect – and thus do more harm than good.
- Cleaner containing chlorine: At first glance, these agents quickly deliver impressive results when removing a wide variety of soiling. The catch: chlorine and plastic do not go well together. A chemical reaction occurs that causes the surface to yellow. Ultimately, you have to replace the cover completely – the bottom line is an expensive way to clean your car headlights.
- High-pressure cleaner: can go well, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are unlucky, you will destroy seals with the water jet so that water penetrates under the covers—conclusion: Well thought – poorly done.
- You are scouring milk: Unsuitable for plastic surfaces and therefore also for cleaning your car headlights. These detergents contain granules or similar ingredients that you use to scratch the surface.
- Car polish: Similar to toothpaste, car polish usually contains small abrasive particles that are good for removing dirt and stains – but at the same time damage the sensitive plastic surface.
Also read: How to lay pavers.