Someone was just asking about a remedy for yellowed dingy headlights so I thought I would share with everyone what ended up working for me. My car headlights were horribly yellowed after 12 years of ignoring them. I could barely even see when driving at night because that's how bad they were!
Headlight lens restoration kits are $20.00 or more and contain enough supplies for a one time only use. For about the same price you can purchase the items in larger quantity separately and will then have enough supplies leftover for future restorations, and even to use on other projects, plus you might already have some or all of the items needed already on hand to do the job.
Just follow these steps:
By Deeli from Richland, WA
What do you recommend for cleaning dingy auto headlights?
Many people have had success with toothpaste.
Does anyone have a DIY solution to cleaning the dirt and yellow off headlight covers on cars? Mine are just so bad!
By Mary P
You could try coating it with hand sanitizer on a rag, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then rub off. Try a corner first, and if it works, do all the lights.
This is a two step process and its about as easy and cost saving as it can get. I started out with Turtle wax polishing compound (around 5.00 at walmart) ..Not the dark red rubbing compound, This is the white polishing compound which is still plenty enough abrasive to remove the oxidation and Yellow haze. Depending on the condition of the headlights, It may take awhile to to remove all of the funk. I used a soft cotton wash cloth to apply the polish and to polish the lens. Dip the cloth into the compound and apply in a circular motion. Fold the cloth so that you can cover as much surface as possible. Use enough so that it doesn't dry out while you're polishing the lense. after your finished, The lens will have a clear clean shine and you could just go with it at this point. But i took it a step further and used Meguires PasteX Plastic polish (arounf $7-8 at walmart.
My husband and I recently purchased a Turtle Wax headlight cleaning kit and cleaned them as directed and now our headlights have a foggy film on them. What's the best way to remove the film?
By Leanne D.
How do you get hazed over looking headlights on a used car to look clear again? Thanks.
By Shirley
Call a business like Auto Zone to ask about a product that can clean the haze from car's head lamps.
What is a good, simple way to clean a car's headlights?
By Linda P.
If your headlight covers are plastic, you could spend 10 or 20 bucks on a fancy headlight cleaner kit, but I've heard that toothpaste works just as well as the expensive kit. You probably shouldn't use a blue minty gel, I'm sure that won't work too well. *L* I'd use a white paste on a microfiber cloth and scrub away. Be sure to rinse well.
I have glass lenses on my old car, so soap and water works just fine.
If your headlights are already damaged as in you've used sandpaper and/or restorer and NOTHING is bringing them back from the fog, you can use baby oil on a paper towel and buff until clear after you wash them well.
What is the best and easiest way to clean the headlights on your car?
By GG
I haven't tried this myself, but read that a dull or dirty headlight/tail light can be cleaned with toothpaste. Slightly dampen a cleaning cloth (an old T-shirt will do!) Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto the cloth, and rub over the surface of the lens.
My husband and I, cleaned the headlights on my car just last week, using the toothpaste idea. Just keep in mind that it must be a toothpaste that contains a whitener. Worked great and my car is almost 8 years old!
I tried toothpaste, the kits from the auto store and nothing helps! It's $1200 each to replace them do you think a deoxidizer will work?
By Anne
How you do remedy the dingy yellow film on vehicle headlight lens?
By Suzyn
You can go to an auto supply store and buy a kit that will restore the lens. You can also find information on goggle.com on these kits. Type in restoring yellow headlights or words to that effect.
Headlight lens restoration kits are $20.00 or more and contain enough supplies for a one time only use. For about the same price you can purchase the items in larger quantity separately and will then have enough supplies leftover for future restorations, and even to use on other projects, plus you might already have some or all of the items needed already on hand to do the job.
Step 1: Wash the lenses very well with soapy water, rinse and wipe dry.
Step 2: Dip a corner of a rag in denatured alcohol (you can purchase it at paint stores and most hardware stores), rub it on the lens in a circular motion, repeat if necessary, until the lens loses at least the majority of the yellow coloration and then rinse.
Step 3: Quick soak a piece of 800 grit wet sandpaper in water, then sand the lens using small, circular motions until all yellowing is removed, then repeat using quick soaked 1,000 grit sandpaper and then again with quick soaked 2,000 grit sandpaper until lenses are smooth.
Step 4: It is a must to apply a coat of car wax afterwards to protect the lenses! Rub the wax on in a circular motion with a clean rag and then buff out after a couple of minutes.
I didn't want to pay the $20 or more dollars for the restoration kit and just put up with it for months on end. Then one day my friend and I were discussing the issue and she said that she read a tip on another site that said to use 'Soft Scrub' bathroom cleaner. I had some under my sink and thought "what the heck, it can't hurt." I used it and it made a tremendous difference! It didn't remove all of the yellow, but I can now see at night again! Maybe if you do it once a month or so, it might take all the yellow out eventually, but I'm happy with what it did to my lenses.
Recently I noticed the headlights on both my car and especially my son's car were quite hazy, thus reducing visibility at night. I purchased a cleaning kit at the automotive store, (not cheap,) which involved several steps...
