How to Clean Clear Headlamps
Over time, dirt from the road and normal wear and tear can cause clear headlamps on your car to become scratched and yellowish in color. Winter precipitation can also discolor your headlights and make them foggy and dull. Clean headlights will perform their job more effectively and keep you safe when you're on the road. Cleaning clear headlamps is not hard or expensive to do, and takes just a few minutes of your time in your own driveway.
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Things You'll Need
- Bucket Mild soap Sponge Hose Soft cloth Masking tape Sandpaper Plastic polish
Instructions
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Fill a bucket with warm water and a few squirts of a mild soap, such as dishwashing detergent.
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2
Use a clean sponge to wash dirt and grime off the headlights.
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3
Rinse the headlamps with clear water from your hose. If you do not have a hose set up near your car, just fill another bucket with clear water.
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4
Saturate sandpaper sheets with water to remove scratches. Apply masking tape to the outside edges of your headlights to avoid scratching the paint off your car when you sand.
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5
Sand the headlights gently with the wet sandpaper to remove any scratches you may have. Sanding is optional--do it only if unsightly scratches bother you or are large enough to interfere with the headlights' function.
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Remove the masking tape from the car and dry the headlights with a soft cloth.
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Apply a plastic polish if you wish. Polishing can help reduce foggy areas that may occur on your headlights. Sanding and polishing kits are available for purchase at auto parts stores such as Top of the Line Detailing Supplies and include all of the components you need to clean your clear headlamps (see Resources).
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Tips & Warnings
You can buy sandpaper grits of 1000, 1500 and 2000 that are appropriate for headlight sanding at your local hardware or home improvement store. Higher grades of sandpaper are finer (less rough).
