How do you clean foggy headlights without breaking the bank?

trinidadone

Hello all, I need to clean my headlights which have appeared foggy. I watch online that WD40 could help, and I applied, and it did help somewhat, but its not how i want the lights.

Does anyone have any moneysaving tips in getting rid of the foggy headlights?

facade

Aldi are selling a kit for £5.99 that contains the abrasive cleaner, some cloths and sandpaper, and the all important UV resistant sealer, that prevents them going white again the next day.


I think the T-Cut kit available on eBay for around £8 is better value as the bottles are bigger.


You can just polish them with duraglit wadding like I do just before the MOT, but they go white again really quickly without that sealer. You could use toothpaste or any other mild abrasive.

ttoli

Try
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEJbKLZ7RmM

mollycat

Easy, done it on many cars, but not with WD40. (It may work, I just dont know).

Several good instruction videos on You Tube, search for something like "headlight restoration with wet&dry".

Edit...must learn to type quicker, beaten to punch by facade and ttoli

coffeehound

I heard someone say toothpaste works, but cannot confirm...

ETA: sorry, already mentioned

building_with_lego

Yep, toothpaste and wipe off.

Also works for that scummy ring around the bath.

VFR

Autosol or most other metal cleaners on a buffing pad fitted to your DIY orbital sander will bring them up a treat.
Mask off paintwork near the lights.
Keep the sander moving.

trinidadone

ttoli wrote: »

Try
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEJbKLZ7RmM

This sounds too much like hard work and time

ttoli

trinidadone wrote: »

This sounds too much like hard work and time

It's worth the effort though, mine last 3 years here in Cyprus, after that treatment.

reddwarf2002

Going off topic a little here but plastic headlights are a bugbear for me. The move to plastic headlights were possibly to save on injuries when pedestrians are involved.

What probably hasn't been researched properly is how many people are injured/killed due to poor light output from plastic headlight that are discoloured. Most people drive around without fixing until it fails MOT when it gets severe.

Headlight lenses should be glass.

fred990

Halfords rubbing compound....cheap, easy job to do.