How to defog headlights?

February 18th, 2020 by

How to Defog Your Headlights

If you’ve ever cleaned the windows in your residence, then you know how much of a difference it makes in letting light through. It may not seem like it would do all that much, but the difference is immediately noticeable. The same thing applies to your vehicle’s headlights. If you’re having trouble seeing at night because your headlights aren’t illuminating much, hold off on buying those MAXIMUM-BRIGHTNESS ULTRA-LUMENS CRYSTAL LED headlights that cost a fortune. Your headlights might just need a good cleaning.

Here’s our guide on how to defog your headlights.

See Our Other DIY Auto Fixes

Headlight Defogging Prep

person drying the front of a car

Defogging a headlight, especially a really old one, takes a lot of patience and elbow grease. To properly defog your headlights at home, you’ll need:

  • Travel-size toothpaste
  • Clean cloth x2
  • Bucket of warm water

Yeah, those are the bare necessities. No special cleaners or kits, though toothpastes with baking soda or peroxide will yield better results. However, if you want to make it a little easier on yourself, the following items will help quite a bit:

  • Scouring pad
  • Handheld buffing tool
  • Car wax (paste)

Headlight Defogging Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you have all the necessary tools, and maybe a few of the optional ones, it’s time to get started. If you’re headlight is severely fogged and you’re using the only the necessities, expect to scrub each headlight for about 15 minutes.

  1. Apply ¼ to ½ of the tube of toothpaste directly to headlight
  2. With a clean cloth or scouring pad, smear toothpaste over full area of headlight
  3. Vigorously scrub with cloth, scouring pad, or buffing tool
  4. Rinse headlight with warm water
  5. Dry headlight with clean cloth
  6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 until headlight is clear of discoloration and fog
  7. (Optional) Apply paste car wax to headlights following the wax’s directions

That’s it. It’s a straightforward and cheap way to get better visibility.

Is Your Vehicle Getting Old?

If you feel like your vehicle just isn’t worth the hassle anymore, stop by CrossPointe Motor Cars. We have a respectable selection of high-quality used vehicles for under $10,000. If you’re not quite ready to give up on Old Faithful quite yet, you can order genuine OEM parts for it through us.

Posted in DIY Maintenance, Tips and Tricks